Roccagiovine Chestnut Festival

A historic festival at the foot of the Monti Lucretili

The Roccagiovine Chestnut Festival is one of the most deeply rooted autumn events in the province of Rome. Established in the early seventies, it has now surpassed half a century of history: the fiftieth edition was celebrated in 2023, and the fifty-first in 2025. The municipality of Roccagiovine, one of the smallest in Lazio with just over three hundred inhabitants, sits on a rocky spur at an altitude of 520 meters, entirely within the Monti Lucretili Regional Natural Park, where downy oak woods give way to extensive Castanea sativa chestnut groves. It is precisely from these groves that the festival originates.

The village, the goddess Vacuna, and the Aniene Valley

The heart of the event is Piazza Vacuna, dominated by the 19th-century fountain dedicated to the ancient Sabine rural deity celebrated by Horace, Ovid, and Varro: four dog-head spouts make the fountain instantly recognizable. Surrounding it are the narrow alleys of the medieval village, featuring the Church of the Flagellants with its 18th-century frescoes, the Church of Santa Maria delle Case, and the 13th-century Orsini baronial castle, visible from the outside. Roccagiovine belongs to the so-called Ustica Valley, a stone's throw from the Horatian sites of the Villa of Horace: a context that gives the festival a value that goes far beyond simple tasting.

What to eat

The chestnut is the absolute star, served primarily as roasted chestnuts cooked in open-air braziers and distributed on the afternoon of both days. Food stalls open at noon with dishes from the Lazio mountain cuisine, from homemade pasta to traditional main courses. In the market, you can find products derived from the chestnut and the local area: sweets, chestnut flour, jams, honey, as well as natural cosmetics, chestnut wood objects, and craft beers.

More than just food

What distinguishes Roccagiovine from many other festivals in the Lazio Region is the cultural aspect, which has grown year by year. The program usually includes:

• an impromptu painting competition, with artists at work in the alleys from the early morning and an awards ceremony in the late afternoon;
• a photography exhibition dedicated to the villages and nature of the Monti Lucretili Park;
• a craft and local products market along the streets of the historic center;
• creative workshops for children, curated in recent years by the association Il Viaggio di Leo;
• guided walks in the historic center and towards the Villa of Horace;
• live music, featuring organetto, guitar, and folk music groups, with the Saturday evening musical event in Piazza Vacuna.

Historically, the festival has also hosted the National Art Knife Exhibition, curated by AISCA, which has brought master knifemakers from all over Italy to the village.

A village atmosphere

Those who arrive in Roccagiovine do not find an event built for mass tourism, but a community celebration where the Pro Loco, local families, and volunteers do practically everything. This is why the festival continues to attract visitors from Tivoli, Rome, and the entire Aniene Valley: the welcome is genuine, the pace is slow, and the autumn landscape of the Monti Lucretili does the rest. The days are perfect for combining the festival with a hike on the park's trails, which are spectacular during the foliage season.

When to go

The event traditionally falls on the middle weekend of October, Saturday and Sunday. The two days have similar but not identical programs: Saturday is more focused on exhibitions and the musical evening, while Sunday is dedicated to guided walks and afternoon folk music. It is advisable to arrive in the morning when the village is still quiet and can be visited at leisure.