Metti una Sera d'Estate — Stracciose and Arrosticini Festival

A summer evening in the Sabina hills

Metti una Sera d'Estate is the annual event that, every July, launches the summer calendar of Nerola, a small town in the province of Rome overlooking the Farfa Valley in the heart of the Sabina region. For one night, the historic center, huddled around the Orsini castle, transforms into a vibrant trail of food stalls, open-air dining tables, and impromptu stages: it is the town's most popular event and the moment the local community welcomes visitors from all over Lazio.

Stracciose: the signature dish of Nerola

The undisputed star is the stracciosa nerolese, a hand-pulled and torn egg pasta with a rustic, irregular shape that local housewives have been preparing for generations. The traditional dressing is simple—garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and tomato sauce—perfectly reflecting the humble, authentic cuisine of the Sabina, built on local grain, oil, and vegetables. Alongside the stracciose, you will find lamb arrosticini grilled over charcoal, a legacy of the transhumant shepherding that for centuries linked these hills to Abruzzo along the ancient wool routes.

What to eat

• Stracciose nerolesi with tomato sauce (vegetarian option available)
• Lamb arrosticini grilled over charcoal
• Pancetta sandwiches fresh off the grill
• Bruschetta with local extra virgin olive oil
• Traditional desserts prepared by local women
• Cold beer and wines from the Colli Sabini

Music, squares, and atmosphere

This is no quiet food festival: from the early evening, the village fills with live music, with local bands and groups playing among the alleys and small squares of the center. The tables remain full until late at night, and the event maintains a deliberately popular and family-friendly atmosphere with no entry fee: you only pay for what you consume using tickets purchased at the Pro Loco stands.

The village and the astronomical observatory

Those arriving early can visit the Castello Orsini, which has dominated the town from the hilltop for centuries, and stroll along Corso Umberto I to reach panoramic viewpoints over the valley. In recent editions, the evening has been paired with the free opening of the Nerola Astronomical Observatory: an unusual combination—a village dinner and summer stargazing—that has become a hallmark of the event.

A Pro Loco event

The event is entirely organized by the Pro Loco Nerola APS with the patronage of the Municipality of Nerola and the hard work of dozens of volunteers who spend the days leading up to the festival hand-making the pasta and setting up the stalls. Over the years, the event has also been promoted as the «Stracciose and Arrosticini Festival» or as part of the «Nerola Estate» program: it is the same event, reaching its twenty-sixth edition in 2026.

When to go

The event traditionally takes place on the first weekend of July, on a Saturday, with tastings starting around 7:30 PM. It is the perfect time to discover the Roman Sabina away from the beaten tourist path, just over an hour from Rome along the Via Salaria.