Lavender Festival
Tuscania turns purple: markets, blooming fields, and scents in the «Provence of Lazio»
About Lavender Festival
The «Provence of Lazio» dresses in purple
On the first weekend of July, Tuscania, an Etruscan and medieval jewel of the Viterbo Tuscia area, celebrates the lavender bloom with a festival that has become one of the most anticipated summer events in Upper Lazio. The streets of the historic center turn purple, the air is filled with the scent of essential oils, and the fields surrounding the village, in full bloom between June and July, offer scenery that has earned Tuscania the nickname «Provence of Lazio».
A festival born from the fields
The Lavender Festival was founded in 2012 on the initiative of the Tuscania Pro Loco, in collaboration with the Municipality, to promote a crop that is rapidly expanding in the Viterbo area. Edition after edition, the event has grown to attract visitors and exhibitors from all over Italy: in 2026, it reached the milestone of its 15th edition, confirming itself as one of the most effective drivers of the city's tourism development.
Artisan markets in the historic center
The heart of the festival is the markets set up along Via Roma and in the Torre di Lavello park, overlooking the Etruscan plateau. At the stalls, you can find essential oils, soaps, creams, and natural cosmetics, candles, traditional braided lavender spindles used as air fresheners, lavender honey, flavored cheeses, and local gastronomic specialties. It is an opportunity to take home a scented piece of Tuscia, featuring local crafts, organic products, and short supply chains.
Blooming fields and farms
The festival extends beyond the village into the countryside: local farms — Pian di Mola, the La Piantata farmhouse, the Sensi farmhouse, the Lucia Gubbiotti organic farm, and Il Bosco Incantato — open their fields for guided tours among the rows, distillation demonstrations, purple picnics, sunset aperitifs, yoga sessions, and creative workshops. It is the ideal time to photograph the blooming fields and discover how essences, cosmetics, and gastronomic delights are extracted from the flower.
Music, culture, and wellness
The evening program enlivens squares and gardens with jazz, soul, and blues concerts, dance evenings, and artistic performances, while during the day, you can take advantage of the extraordinary openings of the National Archaeological Museum and the Romanesque basilicas of San Pietro and Santa Maria Maggiore, or participate in guided tours of the Etruscan necropolis with tastings of local products. Lavender thus becomes the gateway to a major historical heritage.
Tuscania, between Etruscans and the Middle Ages
Supported by the Municipality of Tuscania and well-rooted in the summer calendar of the province of Viterbo and the Lazio Region, the festival is also the perfect opportunity to discover one of the most fascinating villages in Upper Lazio: medieval walls, towers, Romanesque churches, and the famous Etruscan plateau tell nearly three thousand years of history, less than an hour and a half from Rome and a stone's throw from the sea of Tarquinia.
Lavender Festival — edition 2026
For its 15th edition, the Lavender Festival transformed Tuscania into a sensory journey over three days, from July 3 to 5, 2026. The historic center hosted artisan markets with essential oils, soaps, natural cosmetics, and lavender gastronomic specialties, while local farms — Pian di Mola, La Piantata, Sensi, Lucia Gubbiotti, and Il Bosco Incantato — opened their fields in full bloom with guided tours, purple picnics, aperitifs, yoga, and creative workshops.
The cultural program was also rich: live distillation demonstrations, a guided tour of the Etruscan necropolis with tasting, an en plein air painting lesson, extraordinary openings of the National Archaeological Museum and the basilicas of San Pietro and Santa Maria Maggiore, and three evenings of music including dance, charity jazz, and a final jazz-soul-blues concert.
Programme Lavender Festival 2026
Friday, July 3
- 6:00 PM — Inauguration at Porta di Poggio and opening of artisan stands along Via Roma and Largo Torre di Lavello
- 8:00 PM — «Fitness under the stars», aerobic walk through the village streets
- 8:45 PM — Poolside dinner
- 9:00 PM — Dance evening at the Municipal Garden
Saturday, July 4
- 10:00 AM — Opening of artisan stands
- 7:00 PM — Lavender distillation demonstration and artistic performance
- 8:45 PM — Jazz aperitif by the pool
- 9:00 PM — «Jazz for SLA» concert
Sunday, July 5
- 8:30 AM - 7:30 PM — Extraordinary opening of the National Archaeological Museum
- 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM — Basilicas of San Pietro and Santa Maria Maggiore open for visits
- 10:00 AM — Guided tour of the Etruscan necropolis with tasting of local products
- 3:30 PM — En plein air painting lesson
- 9:00 PM — Jazz-soul-blues concert
Throughout the weekend, experiences in the lavender fields at the farms Pian di Mola, La Piantata, Sensi, Lucia Gubbiotti, and Il Bosco Incantato: guided tours, picnics among the rows, sunset aperitifs, yoga, and workshops.
Highlights Lavender Festival 2026
- Lavender fields in full bloom open for visits at the five local farms
- Artisan markets with essential oils, soaps, braided spindles, and lavender honey
- Live lavender distillation demonstration
- Purple picnics, yoga, and watercolor workshops among the rows
- Jazz, soul, and blues concerts in the village evenings
- Guided tour of the Etruscan necropolis with tasting
Prices Lavender Festival 2026
Practical information — Lavender Festival
How to get there
Tuscania can be reached by car from Rome (about 90 km) via the Cassia or Aurelia roads, and from Viterbo (24 km) along the SP Vetrallese. By train: the nearest stations are in Viterbo or Tarquinia, then take a Cotral bus to Tuscania. Parking is available near the historic center, with areas indicated during the festival.
Admission and bookings
Access to the historic center and the markets is free. Experiences at the farms (field visits, picnics, workshops, yoga) are paid and must be booked in advance: spots fill up quickly during the festival weekend.
Tips
The bloom is at its peak between late June and early July: for photos in the fields, prefer the early morning or sunset, bring a hat and water, and wear comfortable shoes. Many restaurants in the village offer lavender-themed menus during the festival.
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Where does it take place — Lavender Festival
Centro storico e parco di Torre di Lavello
Largo Torre di Lavello, 01017 Tuscania