Segni Chestnut Festival

A historic festival in the heart of the Monti Lepini

The Segni Chestnut Festival is one of the longest-running and most beloved autumn events in Lazio: the first edition dates back to 1958, and in 2025 the event celebrated its 68th anniversary. For a week, spanning the second-to-last and last weekends of October, the historic center of Segni—a village perched in the Monti Lepini mountains, in the province of Rome—transforms into a grand culinary trail between Piazza Santa Maria, Piazza Pericle, and Piazza Risorgimento, featuring food stalls, steaming roasted chestnuts, and the characteristic fraschette taverns and wine cellars open in the medieval alleys.

The Segni chestnut, a treasure since the 16th century

The absolute star is the Segni chestnut, recognized as a Traditional Agri-Food Product (PAT) of the Lazio Region. It stands out from common chestnuts due to its medium-to-large size, oval shape, reddish color, and a more pleasant, bold flavor. According to tradition, the first trees arrived in Segni in the mid-16th century, when chestnuts from Monte Amiata were transplanted for the wedding of Mario Sforza and Fulvia Conti; an older legend attributes their introduction to Pope Saint Vitalian, around 657 AD. During the festival, the chestnut is enjoyed in all its forms: roasted over embers, boiled (the so-called valani), or transformed into desserts, jams, liqueurs, and flour.

The program: taste, music, and re-enactments

The festival's lineup combines fine food, wine, and culture. Days are spent enjoying local wine tastings, masterclasses, and cooking shows, polenta, and traditional Lepini dishes, while evenings come alive with folk music concerts, dance performances, DJ sets, and street artists. Among the most anticipated moments:

• the Copeta historical pageant in costume, featuring the flag-wavers of Carpineto Romano;
• the Marrone PizzaFestival, with pizza acrobatics and workshops for children;
• the open wine cellars and fraschette for lunch and dinner in the village alleys;
• guided tours of the Nymphaeum, the Municipal Archaeological Museum, noble palaces, and churches;
• the tourist train that takes visitors through the historic center.

Segni, a city of art to discover

The festival is also an opportunity to discover one of the most interesting villages in southern Lazio: the imposing polygonal walls, the Cathedral with its Romanesque bell tower, the Baronial Palace, and the karst plateau of the Campo di Segni tell a millennial story that stretches from the Hernici city to the splendor of the Conti family. The event is promoted by the Municipality of Segni together with the Pro Loco, involving local producers, wineries, and associations, and has become a showcase of identity for the entire Monti Lepini community and the Lazio Region.

An event for everyone

With free admission, extended hours from morning until late at night, and offerings designed for families, the Segni Chestnut Festival is the classic autumn feast that combines taste, tradition, and landscape: the scent of roasted chestnuts among the stone alleys is worth the trip from Rome alone.