Monte Porzio Carnival — Feast of Fools

A carnival that chooses summer

The Monte Porzio Carnival is one of the most deeply rooted traditions of Monte Porzio Catone, a village in the Castelli Romani area within the Metropolitan City of Rome, in the Lazio region. Organized by the local Pro Loco since 1990, the carnival has built its reputation over the years with parades of allegorical floats, masked groups, live music, and fireworks. Alongside the winter edition, tied to the traditional February and March calendar, the town has invented a unique formula: the Feast of Fools, the summer carnival that has been enlivening June evenings since 2023.

The Feast of Fools

The concept is simple and successful: bring costumes, music, and carnival joy out of season, when the evenings are long and mild, and the historic center can be enjoyed outdoors without the February chill. The result is a festival that has quickly won over the residents and visitors of the Castelli Romani, becoming one of the most anticipated events of the early summer. In 2026, the Feast of Fools took on even greater significance, as it compensated for the absence of the winter carnival edition.

The masked parade

The heart of the evening is the masked parade that kicks off in Piazza Trieste, in the center of the village, and winds through the streets and alleys of the historic district. It is accompanied by the percussion of the Sbandati and the MPC Superband, local musical groups that set the rhythm, along with Brazilian dancers, stilt walkers, and street performers. Families, teenagers, and children join the parade in costume: there is no audience separated from the actors; the entire town becomes an open-air stage.

Music and dancing until late

After the parade, the party moves to the village squares, particularly Piazza Borghese, where group dances and musical sets take place. The closing DJ set, entrusted in recent years to Flavio Karol, keeps the square moving until late at night. In previous editions, the evening concluded with a fireworks display over the rooftops of the village, an image that has now become the symbol of the Monte Porzio summer carnival.

Flavors of the Castelli Romani

As in any self-respecting Lazio village festival, the gastronomic side is not just a side note. Stalls open in the early evening, offering specialties of the local cuisine accompanied by Castelli Romani wines: Monte Porzio Catone is a land of historic viticulture, home to a Wine Museum and traditionally associated with Frascati and the white wine production of the Colli Albani. The Feast of Fools thus fits into a summer calendar that also includes the town's food and wine festivals.

Why attend

• Free admission: the entire event takes place in the squares and streets of the center, with no tickets required.
• Evening format: it starts at sunset and continues until late, with ideal temperatures.
• Family-friendly: dressing up is especially popular with children, who are the stars of the parade.
• Half an hour from Rome: perfect to combine with a day in the Castelli Romani, visiting Frascati, Grottaferrata, and Monte Compatri.

A recognized heritage

The municipal administration of Monte Porzio Catone has included the Monte Porzio Carnival among the traditional events of particular cultural, social, and tourist importance for the area, providing financial support for its organization. It is a recognition of a festival that, beyond the fun, serves a precise function: reconnecting the generations of the town and filling the village streets with life.