Saint John Bosco Festival and Stimigliano Ciambella Festival

A festival born around a church

The Saint John Bosco Festival has its roots in the 1930s, when a church dedicated to Don Bosco was built in Stimigliano Scalo—the district that grew around the railway station on the Rome-Orte line. It was created by repurposing a warehouse belonging to the local Ceramica Sbordoni, a historic regional manufacturer. From that core of popular devotion, a festival was born that remains the most anticipated event of the Stimigliano summer.

Why the last Sunday of June

The liturgical feast of Saint John Bosco falls on January 31st, but by long-standing tradition in Stimigliano Scalo, the saint is celebrated on the last Sunday of June. The date is no coincidence: it coincides with the end of the harvest season, when landowners once organized a grand celebration to reward farmers for their hard work in the fields. An agricultural memory that the community has successfully transformed into a village festival.

The Stimigliano ciambella, queen of the festival

The absolute star is the Stimigliano anise-flavored ciambella, a traditional local product with a genuine, rustic flavor. It is made with simple, natural ingredients—flour, oil, salt, wine, and anise—and, unlike other Sabina pastry variants, without eggs. On the morning of the festival, the organizing committee prepares a large quantity of ciambelle, which the local youth distribute door-to-door to all families in Stimigliano: a gesture of sharing that is the true identity of the event. In the afternoon, distribution continues at the park with the festival itself.

The typical festival program

The festival takes place over several evenings at Parco San Michele in Stimigliano Scalo, with a proven formula that combines gastronomy and entertainment:

• food stalls serving traditional Sabina dishes, open every evening;
• evenings of ballroom dancing and cover band concerts;
• DJ sets and music for younger crowds;
• on Sunday morning, the door-to-door distribution of ciambelle;
• from late afternoon, the Stimigliano Ciambella Festival with a concert by the brass band;
• the children's singing competition «Io Canto» and performances by local dance schools;
• a grand finale with a fireworks display.

The Saint John Bosco Committee

The festivities have been organized for over thirty years by the Saint John Bosco Committee (Associazione San Giovanni Bosco), a volunteer group involving generations of Stimigliano residents. In 2025, the festival reached its 43rd edition, confirming a rare continuity for a local district festival.

Stimigliano, gateway to the Sabina

The Municipality of Stimigliano, in the province of Rieti, is considered the «gateway to the Sabina»: a historic village overlooking the Tiber Valley, on the border between Lazio and Umbria, dominated by the Orsini palace. The late June festival is the ideal opportunity to discover this authentic corner of the Rieti Sabina, amidst medieval alleys, countryside, and rustic flavors.