Sagne 'e Farre Festival

A festival born around a humble dish

The Sagne 'e Farre Festival is the most anticipated autumn event in Licenza, a village of just under a thousand inhabitants in the Metropolitan City of Rome, in the Lazio region. The dish that gives the festival its name is incredibly simple and, for that very reason, difficult to replicate: hand-rolled spelt flour fettuccine, dressed with fresh tomato and a spicy chili sauce, served steaming hot at the stalls set up in the historic center. Spelt, a cereal grown in these valleys since Roman times, is the true star: the festival was created to bring attention back to a nearly forgotten crop and to the hands that still know how to work it.

Who organizes it and when

The event is managed by the Licenza Pro Loco with the support of the Municipality of Licenza and is traditionally held on the second weekend of October, on Saturday and Sunday, with food stalls opening at noon. Portions are served until they run out: those who arrive early eat best, a rule that regular visitors know well. The 2025 edition, the thirty-sixth, took place on October 11th and 12th, confirming the high turnout of previous years, with visitors arriving primarily from the Aniene Valley, the Sabina region, and Rome.

What to eat

Alongside the signature dish, the stalls offer a repertoire of rustic cuisine from the Lucretili Mountains:

• Sagne 'e farre with fresh tomato and spicy sauce, the traditional dish;
• cured meats and local cheeses produced by artisans;
• wood-fired bread and local baked goods;
• homemade desserts and wines from the Castelli and Sabina regions served by the glass.

The atmosphere is that of a genuine village feast: shared tables, service by Pro Loco volunteers, affordable prices, and no gourmet pretension. It is precisely this simplicity, combined with the quality of the raw ingredients, that has made the festival a small success story in the landscape of Lazio's autumn events.

The village of Horace and the Lucretili Mountains Park

Licenza is more than just a gastronomic stop. The village stands at 475 meters above sea level on the eastern slopes of the Lucretili Mountains, within the regional natural park of the same name, and houses some of the most evocative archaeological remains in inland Lazio. In the valley below lie the ruins of Horace's villa, the rus (country estate) gifted to the Latin poet by Maecenas and celebrated in his Odes and Epistles, featuring floor mosaics and the nearby Nymphaeum of the Orsini. In the village, Orsini Castle houses the Horatian Museum, which collects artifacts from the excavations.

During the festival weekend, guided walks are usually offered toward the archaeological area and the park trails: a way to alternate lunch at the stalls with a stroll through olive groves, chestnut woods, and panoramic views of the Aniene Valley. In October, the forest colors are at their peak, and the temperature is ideal for light hiking.

Why it's worth the trip

Less than an hour's drive from Rome, you arrive in a village where time flows at a different pace. The Sagne 'e Farre Festival is the best opportunity to experience it: you eat a dish you won't find elsewhere, visit a Roman villa described in Latin literature, and connect with a small community that pours its heart into the celebration. For those planning an autumn itinerary in Lazio, combining this with Percile, Roccagiovine, and the other "Lands of Horace" makes for a complete day.