Minturno da Gustare

A new food festival on the Gulf of Gaeta

Minturno da Gustare is the highlight of the 2026 summer season in the municipality of Minturno, in the province of Latina, at the southern tip of Lazio. Presented as the Festival of typical products and food and wine culture of Lazio, the event was promoted by the municipal administration with the support of ARSIAL, the regional agency for the development and innovation of agriculture in Lazio, and is part of the Minturno Scauri 2026. A wave of emotions summer program.

The event took place at Parco Recillo, in the heart of Scauri, the seaside district of the town, overlooking the historic village of Minturno perched on the slopes of the Aurunci Mountains. Three days, from July 13th to 15th, designed to showcase a territory that thrives on the sea, vegetable gardens, and olive groves.

The theater of taste and cooking shows

The heart of the festival is the so-called theater of taste: a space where chefs, producers, and experts take the stage before the public. The cooking shows focused on the peasant cuisine of southern Lazio, featuring dishes like panecotto lardellato, a local traditional staple reinterpreted in a contemporary style.

Alongside the live demonstrations, guided tastings shone a spotlight on the area's excellence:

• the pomodoro di secca di Minturno, grown without irrigation and a symbol of local agriculture;
• the extra virgin olive oil of the Itrana cultivar, typical of the border between Lazio and Campania;
• the buffalo supply chain of the Garigliano plain, including mozzarella and dairy products;
• the carob and its properties, rediscovered among forgotten fruits;
• the dishes of the Aurunca peasant cuisine.

Farmers' market, narrative itineraries, and Kids Lab

The farmers' market and typical products fair brought together local producers and agricultural businesses, while the narrative itineraries guided visitors through history, landscape, and cuisine, led by tour guide Valentina Treglia. The Kids Lab were also very popular, featuring workshops designed for children aged 6 to 12: hands-on activities, readings, games, and explorations of ancient cooking, helping the little ones discover where their food comes from.

Adults were able to participate in sensory analysis workshops and responsible consumption meetings, organized in collaboration with Slow Food Golfo di Gaeta e Monti Aurunci and Gastronomica – Festival del Gusto.

MinturnEat, the predecessor

Minturno da Gustare 2026 also hosted a Special Edition of MinturnEat, the food, music, and entertainment festival that has enlivened the Scauri seafront in recent years. The new format broadens the scope: less generic entertainment, more education, short supply chains, and food culture.

Why visit Minturno

Minturno is a border town, overlooking the Gulf of Gaeta and crossed by the Garigliano river. Visitors arriving for the festival will find the Minturnae archaeological area just a few minutes away, with its Roman theater and aqueduct, the beaches of Scauri, and the trails of the Aurunci Mountains Park. It is a corner of Lazio less frequented by mass tourism, where cooking remains a matter of family and seasonality.

For the Lazio Region, the initiative is part of the strategy to promote local agri-food products carried out by ARSIAL; for the Municipality, it is an attempt to give the summer an identity-defining event capable of lasting beyond the beach season.