Frog Festival

A unique festival in the heart of the Maremma

The Frog Festival is one of the most distinctive and curious events in the entire Tuscan Maremma. It takes place every year at the end of summer in Paganico, a charming walled hamlet in the municipality of Civitella Paganico, in the province of Grosseto. Organized by the Pro Loco Paganico, the event brings the village's historic center to life for nine days, enclosed within medieval walls and its four gates: Porta Gorella, Porta Grossetana, Porta Senese, and the Rione Centro.

Born in the late seventies, the festival has surpassed forty editions and remains firmly rooted in the town's popular traditions and its most authentic cuisine, where frog is the absolute star.

The Frog Palio

The heart of the festival is the famous Frog Palio, scheduled for the first Sunday of September, the event's closing day. The four districts of Paganico compete in a race that is as lighthearted as it is intense: the champions of each district must push a wheelbarrow containing three frogs along a course traced through the historic center. The winner is the first to cross the finish line without losing the animals along the way. An unpredictable and hilarious race, preceded by the evocative blessing of the wheelbarrows.

Historical Pageant and Districts in the Kitchen

The rivalry between the districts does not end with the Palio. The neighborhoods also face off in the kitchen with the "Districts in the Kitchen" gastronomic competition, where each district presents its own frog-based dishes. The highlight days are marked by the historical pageant, with dozens of participants in period costumes marching with banners through the village alleys, recreating the atmosphere of medieval Paganico. There is no shortage of craft markets and exhibitions of ancient trades.

Flavors and music

Every evening, the food stand offers traditional Maremma dishes and the inevitable frog-based specialties, accompanied by excellent local wines. On Sundays, the kitchen is also open for lunch. The evenings are enlivened by live music, group dancing, and ballroom orchestras, while the Barranocchia stage hosts concerts and entertainment for all ages.

A village to discover

Visiting the Frog Festival also means discovering Paganico, one of the best-preserved walled villages in the Maremma, with its 14th-century perimeter, access gates, and the Pieve di San Michele. A perfect opportunity to combine popular tradition, good food, and slow tourism among the hills of Grosseto in Tuscany.