Fregnaccia Festival

A festival that tells the story of rural Sabina

The Fregnaccia Festival is the most anticipated event of the year in Montasola, a tiny municipality in the province of Rieti, in the heart of the Lazio Sabina. A village of just a few hundred inhabitants, perched on the Sabini Mountains among holm oak and laurel woods, it fills up for a weekend with visitors arriving from neighboring towns, Rieti, and Rome to taste a dish that is now rarely found elsewhere.

The event was born in 1981 and has now surpassed forty years of life: a rare continuity for a village festival, maintained thanks to the voluntary work of the Montasola Festival Committee, which every year sets up stands, kitchens, and a stage with the collaboration of the municipal administration.

What is the fregnaccia

The name might make you smile, but the fregnaccia is a serious preparation of the Sabina peasant cuisine: a batter of water, flour, herbs, and eggs, rolled thin and fried. In the rural tradition, it was prepared especially during the harvest and field work periods, when there was little time to cook and a quick, satisfying dish made with pantry staples was needed.

At the festival, you can taste the fregnaccia in several versions, which have become part of the ritual over the years:

• classic, freshly fried and served hot;
• with mentuccia (lesser calamint), the wild herb that scents so much of Lazio's cuisine;
• with grated pecorino or parmesan cheese on top;
• in sweet variations, with sugar or hazelnut cream.

The Parco Comunale Il Monte

The festival takes place in the Parco Comunale Il Monte, the green area overlooking the village: open-air tables under the trees, food stands, and a space for evening entertainment. The opening is traditionally set in the late afternoon, around 4:30 PM, and the evening continues with music until late.

Music, children, and entertainment

Alongside the tastings, the program has always included live music with local bands and entertainment for children: recent editions have featured soap bubble shows, games, and dance bands. It is a festival designed for families, with affordable prices and an intimate atmosphere, far removed from large city events.

The village of Montasola

It is worth arriving a few hours early to visit the village. Montasola preserves its medieval layout with walls, gates, and stone alleys, and is surrounded by a protected woodland belt that has earned it the reputation of being one of the greenest villages in Lazio. From the panoramic terraces, the view stretches over the Tiber Valley and the Sabini Mountains. In some editions of the festival, a free guided tour of the historic center has also been offered.

Why come

The Fregnaccia Festival is not a staged tourist showcase: it is a festival that a village of a few hundred inhabitants organizes for itself and opens to others. You eat well, spend little, and come into contact with an authentic Sabina, made of oil, pecorino, woods, and simple hospitality. For those visiting Lazio off the beaten path, it is one of the best opportunities to understand how people live and cook in the Rieti hinterland.