Stracci Festival

The Stracci Festival in Antrodoco

Every summer in August, the small town of Antrodoco, located in the province of Rieti in the heart of Lazio, comes alive for one of its most anticipated events: the Stracci Festival. Organized by the Pro Loco Antrodoco, the event turns the village squares into a large open-air restaurant, where the absolute star is the straccio antrodocano, the iconic dish of local culinary identity. With over sixty years of history, the festival is a staple of the Rieti summer calendar, drawing visitors from across the Velino Valley and beyond.

What are stracci?

Stracci are a truly unique specialty. They should not be confused with cannelloni: the base is not egg pasta, but a thin frittatina — a crepe barely a millimeter and a half thick — made with egg, water, and flour. This crepe is rolled and filled with a generous mixture of ground beef, mozzarella, butter, beef sauce, and grated pecorino or parmesan, then baked. The result is a soft, flavorful dish that owes its curious name to its irregular, wrapped shape.

Tradition traces the recipe back to the Middle Ages, and it has been passed down from family to family. Its preparation requires skill and patience: during the festival, Antrodoco's cooks work in a true assembly line to prepare hundreds of portions. Key ingredients include local products such as farm-fresh eggs and Sabina PDO extra virgin olive oil.

A village among the mountains

The festival is also a perfect opportunity to discover Antrodoco, a charming village nestled along the Velino River at the entrance to the striking Velino Gorges, where the Rieti Apennines meet the plains. The historic center's streets, fountains, and nearby mountain areas provide a beautiful backdrop for an event that blends fine food, conviviality, and popular tradition.

Music, dance, and folklore

The Stracci Festival is more than just food. The evenings in the square are accompanied by live music, dance orchestras, performances by the famous Tamburi di Antrodoco (Antrodoco Drummers) and majorettes, folk shows, and festivities that involve both young and old. The atmosphere is that of a genuine village fair, where the slow rhythm of a summer evening pairs perfectly with the aromas of Antrodoco's cuisine.

A dish celebrated in song

The affection the locals hold for their dish is such that the stracci have even been celebrated in a local vernacular song. The festival, now in its sixty-fifth edition, testifies to how deeply rooted this specialty is in the town's sense of community: a culinary heritage that continues to bring together residents, returning emigrants, and tourists around the same table year after year.