San Martino sul Fiora Lamb Festival

The San Martino sul Fiora Lamb Festival

Every year, during the Easter holidays, the village of San Martino sul Fiora, a hamlet of Manciano in the province of Grosseto, comes alive for the Lamb Festival. In 2026, the event reaches its 56th edition, confirming its status as one of the longest-running and most beloved festivals in the Tuscan Maremma. Organized by the local Pro Loco, the event blends authentic flavors, music, and conviviality in a corner of southern Tuscany that remains deeply rooted in its rural heritage.

Buglione, the signature dish

The absolute star of the table is lamb buglione, a traditional stewed lamb dish served with bread. The name itself, in the local dialect, reflects its origins as a dish created to ensure nothing went to waste: a humble peasant meal that has since become a local gastronomic pride. Alongside the buglione, the festival offers other specialties featuring lamb, an ingredient historically abundant in a town where sheep farming has been the primary activity for generations.

Peasant origins

The festival is rooted in the village's pastoral traditions: according to local lore, it was born from a group of friends in San Martino sul Fiora looking for a way to spend Easter Monday together. Since sheep farming was the town's main occupation and lamb was easily available, the festival quickly became the event that best captured the local identity. Since then, the celebration has enlivened the Easter weekend every year, preserving the customs, recipes, and knowledge of the most authentic Maremma.

The festival program

The festival spans two days. Easter Eve opens with the evocative 'budellini' dinner, an evening event that tells the story of the territory's peasant history through a dish of memory. Easter Monday is the highlight: from the morning, the fair and food stalls come to life, accompanied by the parade of the Pietro Mascagni Philharmonic Band, while the afternoon and evening are filled with live music and dancing.

• 'Budellini' dinner on the evening of Easter Eve
• Opening of the fair and food stalls
• Parade of the Pietro Mascagni Philharmonic Band
• Holy Mass on Easter Monday morning
• Restaurant and takeaway stands for lunch and dinner
• Live music and dance evening

A community event

More than just a food festival, the Lamb Festival is a gathering point for the community of San Martino sul Fiora and the many visitors who reach this corner of the Maremma each year. Nestled in the hills near the Fiora River, in an area also known for the nearby Saturnia thermal baths, the festival is an opportunity to discover a less touristy side of Tuscany, defined by villages, traditions, and bold cuisine. The event is held under the patronage of the Municipality of Manciano.