Stocco in Festa

A Calabrian feast in the heart of the Castelli Romani

Stocco in Festa is a summer event held in the town of Grottaferrata, in the province of Rome, Lazio, which brings the authentic flavors of the Ionian coast of Calabria to the Castelli Romani every year. The star of the evening is the Mammola stockfish, a dried cod that the small village in the province of Reggio Calabria has been processing and soaking for centuries using methods passed down through generations, resulting in a culinary excellence recognized far beyond regional borders.

This is not a typical street fair, but a ticketed convivial dinner held in the halls and outdoor spaces of the Park Hotel Villaferrata. This format has built a loyal following over the years: events regularly sell out well in advance, a testament to the word-of-mouth that unites the Calabrian community living in Lazio with local food enthusiasts from the Castelli area.

The origins: from Mammola to Frascati, then to Grottaferrata

The initiative was born from the vision of Antonio Ferraro, a native of Mammola, who, together with lawyer Francesco Figliomeni, wanted to create an annual occasion to introduce a dish that represents both cuisine and identity outside of Calabria. The first editions were held in various towns across the Castelli area and the outskirts of Rome—including Frascati and Ciampino—before finding its current home in Grottaferrata. Since 2009, the festival has surpassed eighteen editions, becoming one of the longest-running events for the Calabrian diaspora in Lazio.

The cuisine: Mammola-style stockfish

The menu is traditionally entrusted to chefs and producers from Mammola, who travel to Lazio with their local ingredients. The common thread is stockfish, featured in every course from appetizers to the main dish:

• Appetizers featuring stockfish and mushrooms from the Mammola mountains, served in oil or as a salad;
• First courses with stockfish sauces, prepared according to traditional village recipes;
• The main course, the heart of the evening: Mammola-style stockfish cooked with potatoes, peppers, olives, and tomatoes—the signature dish that made Mammola famous;
• Desserts from Calabrian pastry shops and wines from the Castelli Romani cellars, in a deliberate encounter between the two traditions.

Solidarity, prevention, and the local area

The dinner is never just about food. Each edition is linked to a charitable project promoted by Planet Solidarietà APS and, in more recent years, by the associations Calabria Roma Mundi and Nuovi Castelli Romani: from donating defibrillators and providing training courses to health awareness campaigns. In 2026, for example, the evening hosted a practical demonstration of pediatric choking rescue maneuvers led by doctors from the ASL Roma 6, one of the most attended moments of the entire edition.

The event is supported by a network of local restaurateurs, bakers, wineries, and businesses, alongside the regular presence of officials from the Castelli Romani municipalities. This blend of ancestral cuisine, civic engagement, and local roots explains the event's longevity.

Why attend

For those visiting the Castelli Romani in summer, Stocco in Festa is a unique and pleasant experience: not a typical open-air fair, but a seated, orderly, and relaxed evening where you can enjoy excellent food while hearing stories from a distant Calabrian village. Since seats are limited and reservations are mandatory, it is advisable to check local Castelli Romani press and the organizers' channels a few weeks in advance.