Sausage and Ventresca Festival

The festival that kicks off the Tolfa Summer

Established in 2025, the Sausage and Ventresca Festival is the event that inaugurates the summer calendar of Tolfa, a village perched in the Tolfa Mountains within the metropolitan city of Rome, in Lazio. It is organized by the Rione Casalaccio, one of the town's historic districts, which returned to activity after years of hiatus under the presidency of Daniele Mercuri: the festival is the most delicious symbol of this local rebirth. The stage is Piazza Enrico Padelli, the district's small square, which transforms into a large open-air dining room for two nights.

Sausage and ventresca, the pride of Tolfa butchery

The Tolfa area is a land of livestock farming and 'butteri', the mounted herdsmen of the Lazio Maremma, and the local butchery tradition is among the most deeply rooted in the province of Rome. The festival celebrates two flagship products: Tolfa sausage and ventresca, grilled and served steaming hot. The evening menu tells the full story of the region's flavors: an appetizer of local cold cuts and cheeses with bruschetta, amatriciana with crispy guanciale and pecorino romano, pasta with mushrooms and sausage, and, to end on a sweet note, traditional wine and anise donuts.

Two nights of celebration in the square

The formula is the genuine one of a local district festival: everyone dines together in the square and then dances. The first evening is traditionally enlivened by ballroom and group dancing, with couples arriving from neighboring towns like Oriolo Romano, Manziana, and Civitavecchia; in the afternoon, the square hosts a popular burraco tournament. The second evening changes pace, relying on DJ sets with electronic music that keeps the younger crowd dancing until late. Past editions have also featured the presentation of the district's team for the 'Torneo dei Butteri' and a final fireworks display.

The Rione Casalaccio and the identity of Tolfa

In Tolfa, the 'rioni' (districts) are much more than a geographical division: they are communities that safeguard the town's identity and compete every summer in the 'Torneo dei Butteri', the famous Tolfa equestrian competition. The Casalaccio festival is part of this fabric and enjoys the support of the Tolfa Municipal Administration, the Pro Loco, and the Civil Protection, who collaborate on the event's success within the Tolfa Summer program promoted by the Municipality.

Why attend

• Taste authentic grilled Tolfa sausage and ventresca
• Experience the genuine atmosphere of a district festival in a village of the Roman Tuscia
• Dance in the square to ballroom music, group dances, and DJ sets
• Discover Tolfa, the town of the 'butteri', an hour from Rome and a stone's throw from Civitavecchia