La Rocca delle Streghe

A village awakening on Epiphany night

La Rocca delle Streghe is the winter event that has redefined the identity of Rocca Canterano, a village of just under two hundred inhabitants perched at 750 meters above sea level among the peaks of the Monti Ruffi, in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the heart of Lazio. For an entire weekend in early January, the historic center stops being just a mountain town and becomes the stage for an immersive tale: alleys, doorways, houses, and old cellars light up and transform into legendary rooms that visitors can explore one after another.

Witches, the Befana, and bandits: the thread of the story

The route is built around the imagery of the Epiphany, the feast that concludes the Christmas cycle in Italy and which, in popular tradition, brings with it the ambiguous figure of the Befana—part benevolent old woman, part witch. In Rocca Canterano, that figure is multiplied: you meet the village witches, listen to their secrets, and further on, you venture into the bandit's hideout, an explicit nod to a real chapter in the history of the Lazio Apennines, when these mountains on the border of the Papal States were a land of transit and fugitives.

This is not a static show to watch while seated, but an experience to walk through: the community opens up its private spaces, and the scenery is the village itself, with its staircases, arches, and cellars carved into the rock. This is why the event works best on foot, taking your time and letting yourself be surprised by the thresholds that open before you.

The gastronomic journey and the flavors of the Monti Ruffi

The narrative experience is accompanied by an itinerant food and wine trail, created in collaboration with local producers, which guides visitors with music, magic, and street food along the entire path. On the same dates, Cecamariti che Passione – Winter Edition takes place, the winter version of the festival dedicated to cecamariti, the typical pasta of this corner of Lazio, served in two different ways. Food stalls are open both Saturday and Sunday starting at noon.

• Themed route through the alleys, houses, and cellars of the historic center
• Meeting the Befana and the village witches
• The bandit's hideout
• Itinerant tastings with local producers
• Cecamariti in two versions, music, and street performers
• Free admission

Why it's worth the trip

Rocca Canterano is located just a few kilometers from Subiaco and its Benedictine monasteries, in an area of the Roman province still largely untouched by mass tourism. The event was born from the desire of the Municipality of Rocca Canterano and local associations to bring the village to life during the quietest season of the year, when Apennine villages risk falling silent. The result is a family-friendly, free festival that combines Epiphany folklore with rustic cuisine, restoring for two days a density of voices and lights that the village does not experience during the rest of the winter.

Those arriving from Rome can easily combine the visit with a walk in the surroundings: the Monti Ruffi offer scenic trails overlooking the Aniene valley, and the proximity to Subiaco allows you to complete the day with a top-tier cultural stop.