Oil and Wine Days

A Tuscia village celebrates the new harvest

The Oil and Wine Days are the most anticipated autumn event in Gallese, a small town in the province of Viterbo, in northern Lazio. Organized by the Pro Loco of Gallese APS in collaboration with the local municipality, the festival celebrates two products that have defined the local agricultural calendar for centuries: Tuscia extra virgin olive oil, fresh from the mill, and the wines of the Agro Falisco, the border area between Lazio and Umbria watered by the Tiber River.

This is not a festival confined to a single square, but a widespread food and wine trail that winds through the entire historic center: alleys, cellars, storage rooms, and small squares of the medieval village are opened and decorated for the occasion, allowing visitors to stroll from one stop to the next with a glass in hand.

The 'fraschette', the heart of the event

The model is inspired by the fraschette, the traditional Roman-style taverns where bulk wine was once sold. In Gallese, each 'fraschetta' has a name tied to local memory and offers a different specialty, turning the trail into a progressive tasting experience. The 2025 edition featured:

• Fraschetta 'de Ascaro — local appetizers
• Fraschetta 'de Moniche — mushroom soup
• Fraschetta dei Lazzari — bread with egg
• Fraschetta Massa — meat trio with sides
• Fraschetta del Castello — grandmother's desserts

These are dishes from the Faliscan peasant tradition, prepared according to family recipes: fried vegetables, homemade bread drizzled with new oil, soups, grilled meats, and simple desserts. Tasting the freshly pressed oil on toasted bread — the classic bruschetta — remains the symbolic gesture of the entire festival.

Beyond the table: markets, tours, and music

Alongside the culinary trail, the two days offer an entertainment program that involves the whole town. The market exhibition brings together producers of oil, wine, and typical Tuscia products, alongside artisans and antique stalls. Guided tours — the 2025 edition featured the «Two Steps through Gallese» itinerary — guide visitors through the castle, churches, and the urban fabric of the village. There is no shortage of traditional games for all ages, wandering musical performances moving from square to square, and street artists, while evening concerts are held in Piazza Castello.

Gallese and Tuscia oil

Gallese stands on a tuff spur overlooking the Tiber Valley, in an area where olive growing is an ancient practice: the Viterbo Tuscia is now one of the most recognized olive-growing territories in Lazio, with cultivars such as Canino and Frantoio. The Oil and Wine Days were created to showcase this production and bring life back to the historic center during a time of year, between late October and November, when the mills are in full swing.

Why it's worth the trip

It is an authentic village festival, managed entirely by Pro Loco volunteers, without the industrial feel of some larger food and wine events. Visitors will find affordable prices, generous portions, and a warm welcome in a village that can be easily explored on foot in a few hours. Its location, halfway between Viterbo, Orte, and the Umbrian border, makes it easy to combine with a day in the Lazio Region, visiting Civita di Bagnoregio, the Faliscan necropolises, and the Viterbo thermal baths.