Fried Pizza Festival

A village festival at the gates of Rome

Riano is a small town in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region, nestled on tuff hills about thirty kilometers from the capital. Every year, between late spring and early summer, the town center transforms for three nights into a large open-air kitchen: this is the Fried Pizza Festival, one of the most anticipated events for the Riano community and now well-known in the neighboring towns of the Tiber Valley.

Fried pizza, the absolute star

The signature product that gives the festival its name is simple and ancient: a disk of leavened dough, plunged into boiling oil and served piping hot, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It is the peasant cuisine of rural Lazio, the kind prepared at home when the oven wasn't lit, and which is here recreated in large quantities by the volunteers of the organizing association.

Alongside the fried pizza, the food stands offer other central Italian street food specialties:

• Arrosticini (sheep skewers) grilled over charcoal
• Sandwiches and French fries
• Soft drinks, beer, and cocktails at the bar counters

The stands traditionally open at 7:00 PM each evening, allowing families to dine outdoors before the shows begin.

Music, dance, and entertainment every night

The festival is not just about food. The stage set up in Largo Falcone e Borsellino — the square once known as Largo Montechiara — hosts a different program every night: cabaret, DJ sets, cover band concerts, and evenings dedicated to Latin American music with Cuban instructors and dancers. There is also the unmissable lottery draw, the highlight of the final evening, which features tickets sold in the preceding weeks.

The atmosphere is that of a typical village feast: shared tables, children playing in the square, local bands, and an intergenerational crowd that stays until late at night.

A festival with a precise purpose

What distinguishes the Fried Pizza Festival from many other food festivals in Lazio is its charitable nature. The event is organized by the Sergio Maiorano ODV Association, a volunteer organization active in Riano for decades, with the patronage of the Municipality of Riano. The entire proceeds from the three nights are allocated to funding summer and winter holidays for people with disabilities, one of the association's long-standing projects.

Eating a fried pizza in the square here means contributing concretely to a local initiative: it is this dual soul, convivial and charitable, that explains the public's loyalty and the constant support of local businesses.

When to go and what to expect

The event is usually held between late May and mid-June, over three consecutive evenings from Thursday to Saturday. Admission to the festival area is free: you only pay for what you consume at the stands, with affordable village-festival prices. It is an excellent opportunity to discover a Lazio village off the beaten path of mass tourism, less than an hour's drive from the center of Rome, and to savor a genuine gastronomic tradition far from the most commercial circuits.