Polenta Festival and Feast of the Patron Saint San Celso

A village in celebration between polenta and devotion

In the heart of the Aniene Valley, about fifty kilometers from Rome and fifteen from Tivoli, the small village of Sambuci experiences its most anticipated moment on the last weekend of October. The Polenta Festival, which reached its 27th edition in 2025, coincides with the celebrations for the town's patron saint, the martyr San Celso, whose relics are kept in the Church of San Pietro, located in the upper part of the town, just below Castello Theodoli. The result is a dual celebration where the aroma of steaming polenta mingles with the notes of the brass band accompanying the procession.

The yellow gold of peasant tradition

The absolute star is the polenta, which for centuries was the staple of local peasant tables: affordable, filling, and prepared with cornmeal slowly cooked in traditional copper pots. In Sambuci, it is served according to the local recipe, topped with a sauce of pork ribs and sausages and a dusting of pecorino cheese, or in the delicious broccoli variant. The food stands set up by the Pro Loco Sambuci APS also offer sausage sandwiches, fries, desserts, and local wine, featuring zero-kilometer products. Once relegated from a daily meal to a memory-based recipe in the 20th century, polenta here reclaims the role it deserves: that of a symbol of the village's gastronomic identity.

The feast of the martyr San Celso

The festival intertwines with the religious dimension of the day: the community honors its patron saint with a solemn mass and a procession through the town streets, accompanied by the band. It is a deeply felt moment for the people of Sambuci, attracting both former residents and many visitors from the neighboring valley towns.

'A Day at Court' at Castello Theodoli

On the Sunday of the festival, the Castello Astalli-Theodoli, which dominates Piazza di Corte with its park, opens to the public for the historical re-enactment 'A Day at Court', organized by the Terzo Millennio Association. Ladies in detailed 19th-century costumes welcome visitors, sharing stories and curiosities about the summer retreats of the Theodoli marquises and recreating a vivid picture of 19th-century aristocratic life. The contrast between the simplicity of the peasant cuisine in the square and the noble splendor of the castle is one of the most fascinating features of the event, which has also hosted photographic exhibitions on local history over the years.

A showcase for Sambuci and the Aniene Valley

Organized by the Pro Loco Sambuci APS with the patronage of the Municipality of Sambuci and the Lazio Region, the festival is much more than a gastronomic event: it is an opportunity to discover an authentic medieval village in the Metropolitan City of Rome, with its narrow alleys, the Church of San Pietro, and the castle surrounded by an Italian-style garden. A perfect autumn weekend for those seeking genuine flavors and old-world atmospheres just a stone's throw from the Capital.