Romanesco Artichoke Festival

A festival in the heart of the Jewish Ghetto

The Romanesco Artichoke Festival takes place in the Sant'Angelo district, along Via del Portico d'Ottavia and the streets of Rome's Jewish Ghetto, in the Municipality of Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region. It is here that the Romanesco artichoke has found some of its most celebrated preparations, and it is here that, since 2022, Confesercenti of the Rome, Frosinone, and Rieti area, together with Fiepet, has chosen to dedicate a widespread event, which also extends to the Trevi and Ripa districts and the Campo de' Fiori area.

The Romanesco artichoke, a signature product of Lazio

The Romanesco artichoke of Lazio, also known as cimarolo or mammola, is a round, tender, thornless vegetable, grown primarily in the coastal strip between Ladispoli, Cerveteri, Montalto di Castro, and Sezze. Its season runs from February to April, and it is precisely in April that it reaches full maturity: hence the choice to hold the festival in spring. The product is protected by an IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) label and represents one of the most recognizable agricultural symbols of the region.

Two recipes, two traditions

The festival brings together the two great schools of Roman cuisine:

• Carciofo alla giudia: the heart of Jewish-Roman cuisine, the artichoke is flattened and deep-fried twice in boiling oil until it becomes golden and crispy like an open flower.
• Carciofo alla romana: slowly stewed upside down with Roman mint, garlic, oil, and white wine, it remains tender and fragrant.

Each year, chefs pair these historical recipes with contemporary reinterpretations: appetizers, first courses, pairings with meat and fish, and even artichoke-flavored gelato, offered in collaboration with the Italian Gelato Makers Association.

How the event works

The format is that of a widespread festival: not a single fenced-in area, but about twenty neighborhood restaurants participating in the initiative, recognizable by an artichoke-shaped menu displayed at the entrance. Each establishment offers a dedicated menu at a fixed price of 35 euros, served for both lunch and dinner throughout the event. Restaurants that have participated in recent editions include La Taverna del Ghetto, Baghetto Bistrot, Renato al Ghetto, Baghetto Milk, Baghetto Meat, Il Giardino Romano, Bella Carne, Pollaria, Sheva, Yotvata, Casalino, Nonna Betta, and Giggetto.

Market, tastings, and meetings

Alongside the dining experience, the event hosts the Campagna Amica market, curated by Coldiretti Lazio, featuring local farms selling artichokes and zero-kilometer vegetables, as well as a program of free tastings, live cooking shows, and meetings between producers, chefs, and institutions. The stated goal is to promote the short Lazio supply chain and tell the story of the bond between territory, culture, and gastronomy.

Organizers

The event is conceived and promoted by Confesercenti of the Rome, Frosinone, and Rieti area with Fiepet, the federation of public business owners, and enjoys the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Ismea, Arsial, the Lazio Region, Rome Capital, the 1st Municipality, Coldiretti, Agrocamera, and the Rome Agri-Food Center.

Why it's worth visiting

More than just a food festival, the Romanesco Artichoke Festival is an opportunity to traverse one of the oldest and most layered neighborhoods in Rome, following the thread of a single ingredient. You can eat sitting in the historic restaurants of the Ghetto, stroll between the Portico d'Ottavia and the Theatre of Marcellus, and discover how a seasonal vegetable has become, over time, a shared cultural heritage.