Polenta Festival (Polenta in Piazza)

An autumn festival in the heart of the Tiber Valley

The Polenta Festival, known to everyone as Polenta in Piazza, is the most anticipated gastronomic event of the autumn in Nazzano, a small town in the Metropolitan City of Rome, in northern Lazio. The village, perched on a spur overlooking a bend in the Tiber, faces the Nazzano Tevere-Farfa Regional Nature Reserve, the first protected area established in Lazio: a landscape of reeds, herons, and water mirrors that frames a festival deeply rooted in the community.

The ritual of the master polenta-maker

The heart of the event is the preparation of the polenta, entrusted to the master polenta-maker and his team. They work with ancient copper cauldrons, where cornmeal cooks slowly for at least three hours, stirred constantly by several people in turns. It is a laborious, collective effort that the Pro Loco has chosen to preserve rather than give in to industrial shortcuts: here, polenta is not just a dish, but the memory of a peasant civilization that has nourished the Sabina region and the Tiber Valley for generations. In some editions, the polenta is served in traditional wooden bowls, which visitors can take home as a souvenir.

What to eat

Food stalls are set up in Piazza della Rocca, at the foot of the castle, and usually open at 12:30 PM, for lunch only. The menu follows tradition:

• Polenta with pork ragù, rich and flavorful;
• White polenta with mushrooms and sausages;
• Mixed grilled meats with vegetable sides;
• Local wine and homemade desserts.

Portions are generous and prices remain the popular ones typical of village festivals: you eat sitting at long outdoor tables, in a convivial atmosphere where visitors from Rome mingle with the village residents.

Market, exhibitions, and village life

The festival goes beyond the table. Throughout the day, typically from 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM, the alleys of the historic center host a craft market with exhibitors of local products, ceramics, and handmade goods. In the exhibition spaces of the River Museum, a photo exhibition is set up every year — in recent editions titled Living the Present — dedicated to the local area and the nature reserve. Strolling among the fortress, stone portals, and viewpoints over the Tiber is an integral part of the experience.

The procession of Saint Antimo

Polenta in Piazza was born and remains linked to the patronal feast: the festival is held in conjunction with the procession that returns the statue of Saint Antimo from the parish church to the basilica. In the evening, usually around 8:00 PM, the procession crosses the illuminated town and closes the day with the moment most felt by the community, bridging the religious and social aspects as happens in many Lazio village festivals.

When it takes place

The event traditionally falls on the third Sunday of October: October 16, 2022 (19th edition), October 15, 2023, and October 19, 2025, for the 22nd edition. Admission to the event is free; you only pay for what you consume at the stalls.

Why it's worth the trip

Less than an hour from Rome, Polenta in Piazza is one of the most genuine festivals in the lower Sabina Lazio: no spectacle, just a humble dish prepared as it was in the past, an authentic village, and a nature reserve to explore on the same day. Those who arrive early can combine the visit with the River Museum and a walk along the trails of the reserve before sitting down to eat.