Gnocchetto a co' de Soreca Festival

A festival created to save a dish

The gnocchetto a co' de soreca is one of the most iconic dishes of the local culinary tradition: a simple pasta made only of water and flour, hand-rolled and thinned at the ends to resemble—with the irony typical of the local dialect—a mouse tail, or soreca. It is a humble, peasant dish born from the need to create something substantial with just two ingredients, and for this very reason, it risked disappearing from daily tables. The festival dedicated to it in Palestrina, in the heart of the Metropolitan City of Rome, was born with the declared goal of bringing it back into the spotlight and passing it on to younger generations.

Where and when

The event is held every year at the end of June in Piazza Santa Maria degli Angeli, one of the most vibrant spaces in the historic center of Palestrina. The festival takes place over three consecutive evenings, from Friday to Sunday, with an exclusively evening format: a practical choice, dictated by the summer climate of inland Lazio, which allows visitors to dine outdoors when the temperature finally becomes pleasant and the square fills with long tables.

What to eat

The absolute star remains the gnocchetto, served in several versions to satisfy all palates. Alongside the main dish, the stalls offer other specialties of the Lazio tradition, homemade desserts, and wines from the Colli Prenestini.

• Estiva (Summer) — fresh tomato and basil
• Amatriciana — the classic version, the most popular
• Ragù bianco — creamy, without tomato
• Seafood — the new addition introduced in the 2026 edition

Music and markets

Every evening, starting in the late afternoon, craft markets are set up along the square with stalls featuring local products, ceramics, and handmade goods. After dinner, the stage takes center stage: over the years, the festival has built a deliberately popular and cross-generational musical program, consisting of tribute bands and themed evenings that appeal to children, young people, and grandparents alike. There are no tickets or reservations: you just arrive, eat, and stay to listen.

Palestrina, much more than a festival

It is worth arriving a few hours early. Palestrina is the ancient Praeneste and preserves one of the most impressive archaeological complexes in Central Italy, the Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia, whose monumental terraces rise along the side of Monte Ginestro and define the entire profile of the city. At the top, inside Palazzo Colonna Barberini, the National Archaeological Museum of Palestrina houses the famous Nile mosaic. The city was also the birthplace of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, one of the greatest composers of the 16th century. Combining a visit to the historic center and the terraces of the sanctuary with dinner in the square is the best way to understand why this festival is much more than a gastronomic event: it is a piece of the identity of the Municipality of Palestrina and the Monti Prenestini, in the Lazio Region.

Who is it for?

The event is designed for a wide audience: families with children, groups of friends, and visitors passing through from the Castelli Romani or the capital. Free admission and the affordable prices of the stalls make it one of the most accessible summer outings in the province of Rome.