Malcavallo Neighborhood Festival (Malcavallo in Festa)

A neighborhood festival that has become a town staple

The Malcavallo Neighborhood Festival, known to all as Malcavallo in Festa, is one of the most cherished summer traditions in the Municipality of Lanuvio, located in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the heart of the Castelli Romani and the Lazio region. Originally a simple local party to bring neighborhood families together, it has grown over the years to attract visitors from Genzano, Velletri, Aprilia, and the entire Colli Albani area.

The Malcavallo neighborhood is located in the flat part of the municipal territory, at the intersection of Via Cisternese and Via Astura: a spacious area, easily accessible by car and equipped with free parking, which for a few nights fills up with long tables, festive lights, and stages.

The cuisine: the true heart of the festival

Those who come to Malcavallo do so primarily for the food stall, open every night and managed by neighborhood volunteers. The menu features genuine, no-frills hill-country Lazio cuisine with generous portions:

• Pappardelle with wild boar sauce, one of the most requested dishes;
• Hand-rolled fettuccine with porcini mushrooms;
• Gnocchi with sheep ragù, typical of the pastoral tradition of the Castelli;
• Pecora al callaro (stewed mutton), a historic recipe from this corner of Lazio;
• Arrosticini (lamb skewers), sandwiches, and grilled meat prepared on the spot;
• a seafood night that traditionally kicks off the event.

Everything is paired with wines from the Castelli Romani, in a territory that knows its wine: Lanuvio is part of the 'Cities of Wine' circuit and is the land of Colli Lanuvini DOC.

Music, dancing, and traditional games

Every evening, the stage hosts ballroom dancing orchestras and pop music bands, a formula that gets people of all ages on their feet. There are also performances by local dance schools, exhibitions of vintage cars and vehicles, rides for children, and traditional games, including the famous spaghetti race, which has become one of the most anticipated and fun moments of the festival over the years.

Volunteering and solidarity

Malcavallo in Festa is entirely self-funded and run by volunteers from the Malcavallo Neighborhood Committee, chaired by Federica Procaccini. The charitable dimension is an integral part of the event's identity: in 2026, the Committee chose to forgo the traditional closing fireworks, donating the saved funds to the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital in Rome. A decision that speaks volumes about the spirit with which the festival is organized.

Why visit

Those looking for a polished, commercial event won't find it here. Instead, Malcavallo in Festa is a chance to see up close how summer is truly lived in the towns of Lazio: long tables under festive lights, different generations dancing together, grandmothers serving fettuccine, and children running between the rides. For a foreign visitor, it is an authentic gateway into the Italian festa di quartiere, a form of social life that endures and is still very much alive in Lanuvio.

Lanuvio and the Castelli Romani

A visit to the festival can easily be combined with a day in the Colli Albani. Lanuvio preserves the famous Sanctuary of Juno Sospita, one of the most important sanctuaries of ancient Lazio, as well as medieval walls and the Fontana degli Scogli. A few kilometers away are Lake Nemi, Genzano di Roma with its Infiorata (flower festival), and the Castelli Romani Regional Park.