Panontella Festival

A festival dedicated to the shepherd's bread

The Panontella Festival is one of the most anticipated gastronomic events of the summer in Rocca Priora, the highest municipality in the Castelli Romani, located in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region. At the heart of the festival is the panontella: a slice of homemade bread soaked in the juices dripping from meat as it cooks over the embers, accompanied by pork pancetta and sausage. It is a very humble dish, born among the shepherds, charcoal burners, and woodcutters of the Tusculan Mountains and also found in nearby Abruzzo, which the festival has rescued from oblivion by reviving the original recipe.

Where it takes place

For several editions, the event has been held at Parco Dandini, on Via della Pineta, the wooded green area that overlooks the village at an altitude of over 750 meters. The pine forest offers precious coolness on July evenings and is one of the reasons why the festival is very popular even with those arriving from Rome and other Castelli towns in search of relief from the heat.

How the evening works

The schedule, consolidated over the years, is simple and well-tested:

• from 6:30 PM, the beer service opens;
• from 7:00 PM, the food stalls open, with panontella prepared to order on the grills;
• in the early evening, there is entertainment for children, such as face painting;
• from 9:00 PM, live music takes the stage, with dance orchestras and bands playing ballroom and light music that keep the audience dancing until late.

Who organizes it

The festival is managed by the La Fortezza cultural association, with the patronage of the Municipality of Rocca Priora, and is part of the town's summer program, which also features the Bruschetta Festival, the Lamb Festival in Colle di Fuori, and the Porcini Mushroom Festival during the warmer months. The format is the classic Lazio village festival: free admission, outdoor communal tables, popular prices, and strong involvement from local volunteers.

What to eat

The menu revolves around the grill and local flavors: in addition to panontella, you will typically find sausages, pancetta, arrosticini, seasonal side dishes, homemade desserts, and wine from the Castelli Romani, one of the historic wine-growing areas of Lazio. All of this is accompanied by draught beer, which gets the party started in the late afternoon.

Why it's worth the trip

More than just a gastronomic event, the Panontella Festival is an opportunity to learn about the farming and woodland culture of the mountains that border the Roman countryside to the southeast. Rocca Priora, with its castle, the alleys of the historic center, and views that reach the sea on clear days, is perfect for a late afternoon visit before stopping for dinner at the park. It is an unpretentious, family-friendly festival where quality lies in the simplicity of the ingredients and the village atmosphere.