Onanese Tortelle Festival

A festival born to tell the story of Onano

The Onanese Tortelle Festival is one of the newest additions to the gastronomic calendar of Upper Tuscia. The first edition was held in the autumn of 2025 in Onano, a town of a few hundred inhabitants in the province of Viterbo, in northern Lazio, just a few kilometers from the border with Tuscany and Lake Bolsena. The initiative was born from the desire of the municipal administration, led by Mayor Biribicchi, together with the Pro Loco of Onano, with the declared goal of boosting local tourism even outside the summer season.

Onano is already well-known for its lentils, a historic product celebrated every year around mid-August. With the tortelle, the town has chosen to highlight a second specialty, less famous but equally rooted in the domestic cooking of the village families.

What are Onanese tortelle?

Onanese tortelle are a type of stuffed pasta related to the Maremma tortello from the neighboring province of Grosseto, but with unique characteristics that make them instantly recognizable. The most surprising feature is the contrast between the sweet filling and the savory sauce used to dress them: a sweet-and-sour pairing that belongs to the peasant tradition of Central Italy and today represents a small gastronomic rarity.

• Square shape, neither round nor crescent-shaped.
• Size that must not exceed the palm of a hand.
• Weight varying between 50 and 60 grams per piece.
• Sealed on three sides rather than four: this is the technical detail that distinguishes the Onanese tortella from all others.

The festival table

The food stalls are not limited to the signature dish. The menu draws heavily from local recipes and offers, alongside the tortelle, other preparations from the Upper Tuscia cuisine: wild boar pappardelle, intrise soup, the inevitable Onano lentils, grilled meats, and homemade desserts, all accompanied by local wines. The service takes place in enclosed and heated rooms, a choice that makes the festival pleasant even in the uncertain weather of late autumn.

Music, dance, and atmosphere

The event's formula alternates between food and entertainment: every evening ends with live music or dance parties, following a tradition deeply felt in the towns of Tuscia. The first edition featured local bands and DJs, with an evening dedicated to the nineties and ballroom dancing sessions designed for audiences of all ages. Each day of the festival also features a different lottery draw, a small ritual that accompanies the evening and involves the participants.

Onano and Upper Tuscia

Visitors arriving for the festival will find a village with a medieval layout, featuring the Monaldeschi della Cervara Palace and a compact historic center that can be explored on foot in a short time. The surrounding area is of great interest: Lake Bolsena, the villages of Acquapendente, Proceno, and San Lorenzo Nuovo, the Monte Rufeno Nature Reserve just beyond the border, and the woods that offer intense colors in autumn. The festival is perfect for a weekend of slow discovery in the Viterbo Tuscia region, blending food, landscapes, and small local museums.

An event to follow

As this is a newly established event, the calendar is defined year by year by the Municipality and the Pro Loco, usually around the All Saints' Day long weekend, between late October and early November. It is advisable to check dates and programs on the official channels of the Municipality of Onano and the event portals of the Viterbo province before setting off.