Sermoneta International Folklore Festival

A festival uniting peoples in the heart of the Lepini Mountains

The Sermoneta International Folklore Festival is one of the most anticipated events of the summer in the Pontine area. Since 2016, in late August, the medieval village of Sermoneta—one of the most charming in the Lazio region, dominated by the Castello Caetani—has welcomed folk groups from various countries for evenings of traditional dance, music, and costume. The initiative, included in the official regional list of folklore events of the Lazio Region, is organized by the Sbandieratori Ducato Caetani Association, led by Biagio Vasta, in collaboration with and supported by the municipal administration of Sermoneta and under the patronage of the Lazio Region.

The spirit of the event

The festival was born from a passion for cultural exchange and traditional heritage: each edition immerses the Lepini village in the cultures of different nations, carrying a message of peace and cooperation that the organizers have long championed. Over the years, Sermoneta has hosted ensembles from the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Taiwan, Chile, Portugal, Slovakia, and many other countries, always alongside the hosts, the Sbandieratori Ducato Caetani, a historic group with nearly thirty years of activity dedicated to keeping the flag-throwing tradition of the Caetani duchy alive.

Festival venues

Performances take place in the most scenic spots of the historic center: the opening ceremony and the grand finale animate the Belvedere of Sermoneta, with its spectacular view over the Pontine plain, while the main evenings bring the groups to Piazza del Popolo, the village's living room, and the Campo Vecchio park. In past editions, the festival has also visited other cities in the province of Latina, such as Sabaudia and Nettuno, extending the cultural exchange beyond the village walls.

The 2026 edition

The tenth edition is scheduled from August 20 to 23, 2026, as part of the "Summer Events in Sermoneta" program, which features around fifty events between July and September, including music, theater, folklore, and gastronomy. Confirmed participants include folk groups from Taiwan, Paraguay, Mexico, and Ecuador, performing alongside the Sbandieratori Ducato Caetani across Piazza del Popolo, the Belvedere, and the Campo Vecchio park.

Why attend

• Free admission: all evening performances are free to the public.
• A unique setting: world dances amidst medieval alleys, a castle, and views over the Pontine plain.
• Authenticity: genuine folk ensembles, often award-winning on the international folklore circuit.
• A chance to discover Sermoneta: the Castello Caetani, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the nearby Abbey of Valvisciolo, and the Garden of Ninfa.

For those visiting the province of Latina in mid-summer, Sermoneta in Folklore is the ideal opportunity to combine culture, popular traditions, and the discovery of one of the most beautiful villages in Lazio.