Monti Aurunci Truffle Festival (Cerri Aprano)

The Monti Aurunci Truffle Celebration

Few people know that the south of Lazio has its own truffle. On the slopes of the Monti Aurunci, among oak and chestnut woods, local foragers have been gathering the so-called Aurunco truffle for generations—a niche product that the Monti Aurunci Truffle Hunters Association has decided to promote with a dedicated festival. The event takes place every year in mid-July in Cerri Aprano, a hillside hamlet of Santi Cosma e Damiano, and in just a few editions, it has become one of the most anticipated food and wine events of the summer in the Gulf of Gaeta area.

Cerri Aprano, a balcony over the Aurunci

The municipality of Santi Cosma e Damiano, in the province of Latina, sits on the hills sloping down toward the Garigliano valley, on the border between Lazio and Campania. The hamlet of Cerri Aprano, with its Piazza Padre Pio, offers the ideal setting for an authentic village festival: no giant stages or mass tourism, just a community opening its doors to visitors to share its territory, marked by the history of the Gustav Line and a guardian of still-vibrant agricultural traditions.

The festival format

The event spans three consecutive evenings, with stalls opening in the late afternoon. The heart of the event is the food stand, where chef Antonio Mignano from the Bacchettone e Zazzà restaurant prepares dishes based on local truffles: truffle fettuccine, bruschetta, meats, and local specialties. Alongside the kitchen, there are craft and local product stalls, while past editions have also featured historical guided tours organized by local associations.

Music and shows every night

Each evening concludes with a live performance: the program alternates between Neapolitan songs, tarantella, and folk music, as well as dance performances by local schools. Over the years, artists such as comedian Simone Schettino, folk groups like I Sunaria and the Bottari di Macerata Campania, and bands playing tarantella rhythms have graced the stage in Piazza Padre Pio. A mix that makes the festival suitable for all ages, from families to groups of friends.

A recent but deeply rooted history

Born as the Aurunco Truffle Festival of Cerri Aprano, the event celebrated its fourth edition in 2023 and its sixth in 2025, always with the patronage of the Municipality of Santi Cosma e Damiano, the Pro Loco, UNPLI Latina, and the XVII Mountain Community of the Monti Aurunci. In 2026, the event was relaunched under the name Truffle Festival, keeping the location, timing, and spirit intact: the promotion of the Aurunco truffle and the traditions of the Monti Aurunci.

Why attend

• Taste the rare Aurunco truffle in freshly prepared dishes
• Experience an authentic village festival, far from the tourist circuits
• Discover Cerri Aprano and the hills of Santi Cosma e Damiano
• Dance the tarantella and listen to folk music under the stars
• Free admission for all three evenings