Lanuvio Sporting Village - Sports Festival

A festival celebrating sport in Lanuvio

The Lanuvio Sporting Village, also known simply as the Sports Festival, is the event with which the Municipality of Lanuvio marks the end of the summer season and the beginning of the sports year. Held in the heart of the Castelli Romani, in the province of Rome (Lazio), it brings together the associations, clubs, and sports groups active throughout the municipal territory, from the town center to the hamlet of Campoleone, for an entire weekend.

This is not a competitive event; rather, it is a large, participatory showcase designed for families to discover firsthand what is practiced in Lanuvio, meet the instructors, and see the facilities. Visitors will find fields, mats, platforms, and stations set up side-by-side, where they can try everything without prior registration.

The "athlete's passport"

The signature feature of the festival is the athlete's passport: a symbolic booklet that participants get stamped for every discipline they try. It is a simple and highly effective idea, especially for children, who can move from the basketball hoop to the fencing strip, or from archery to rugby, testing their curiosity and coordination. Those who complete the circuit receive a final recognition.

The 2025 edition featured eighteen disciplines: basketball, classical, modern, and contemporary dance, track and field, cycling, fencing, skating, rhythmic gymnastics, dance sport, rugby, tennis, padel, weightlifting, soccer, archery, volleyball, and martial arts.

Event venues

The festival is traditionally hosted in two different locations, one for each day:

• Stadio Lucio Orlacchio, in the hamlet of Campoleone, for Saturday's field trials;
• Parco della Rimembranza and Villa Sforza Cesarini, in the center of Lanuvio, for Sunday, set in a green, monumental backdrop perfect for performances and children's activities.

Over the years, the event has also coincided with the opening of new facilities: in 2023, the Cittadella del Rugby on Via Cisternense was inaugurated, while in 2025, a multi-purpose court was delivered at the day center for people with disabilities.

Sport, food, and community

Alongside physical activities, the Lanuvio Sporting Village maintains a strong convivial spirit. Sunday morning kicks off with the "Memorial Marco Ferri" food and wine bike ride, organized with ASD Civita Bike: a cycling tour through the Lanuvio countryside with stops dedicated to local products (reservation required). At noon, a community lunch—also requiring booking—brings together athletes, coaches, and families.

The focus on inclusion is both declared and visible: Mayor Andrea Volpi and Deputy Mayor Valeria Viglietti have frequently described the festival as an opportunity to promote sport, social interaction, and inclusion for all ages and abilities.

Why it's worth visiting

For those visiting the Castelli Romani in September, the Lanuvio Sporting Village offers an authentic, non-touristy way to connect with the life of a Lazio town. You can soak up the atmosphere of a community festival: volunteers, sports club banners, parents in the stands, and kids tossing a rugby ball. Since it is free, it is also one of the easiest family outings to organize for the weekend.

The town itself is well worth a visit: Lanuvio preserves the sanctuary of Juno Sospita, cyclopean walls, the Scogli fountain, and Villa Sforza Cesarini, and is located just a few kilometers from Lake Nemi and Genzano di Roma.