Rascino Lentil Festival

A historic festival in the Cicolano region

The Rascino Lentil Festival is one of the longest-running and most heartfelt food and wine events in the Rieti Apennines. Organized by the Pro Loco of Fiamignano in collaboration with the local municipality, it takes place every year on the second Sunday of August in the historic center of Fiamignano, a small village in the Cicolano area of the Rieti province, in Lazio. Founded in 1971, the event has over half a century of history and attracts thousands of visitors every summer, with recent editions regularly selling out.

The Rascino Lentil, a high-altitude treasure

The absolute star of the festival is the Rascino Lentil, grown on the karst plateau of the same name at an altitude between 900 and 1,300 meters. It is a microsperma ecotype, with small, beige-colored seeds featuring green and reddish hues. It is listed among the products at risk of genetic erosion by the Lazio Region and is recognized as a Slow Food Presidium. The presence of a natural spring that feeds the Peschiera aqueduct, which supplies water to Rome, mandates cultivation without herbicides, chemical fertilizers, or treatments: a genuine legume, rich in iron, phosphorus, minerals, and proteins, passed down through generations by Cicolano families.

Traditional flavors

Throughout the day, food stalls offer the recipes that have made this legume famous: the classic lentil soup with pasta or rice, hearty dishes with cotechino and zampone, and other traditional rural preparations. Once considered a 'poor man's food,' the lentil is now a gastronomic excellence that defines the entire festival.

• Tasting of Rascino lentils in traditional recipes
• Stalls featuring local products and a farmers' market
• Guided tours of the cultivation fields and the lakes of the Rascino Plateau
• Live music and entertainment in the village center

Nature and tradition

Beyond the table, the festival is an opportunity to discover the Rascino Plateau, an unspoiled environment of pastures, springs, and mountain lakes. Guided tours take visitors through the lentil fields and to the lakes, sharing the deep connection between the land, shepherding, and high-altitude agriculture. The event has been awarded the Quality Festival recognition by the Unpli (National Union of Pro Loco of Italy) and has even received a special philatelic cancellation from Poste Italiane, a testament to its cultural value.

The Rascino Lentil Festival remains an unmissable event in the Lazio summer, where gastronomy, environment, and the identity of the Cicolano region meet in a day of celebration.