Sutri Bean Festival

A historic festival in the heart of Tuscia

Perched on a tufa spur along the Via Cassia, between the Cimini and Sabatini mountains, Sutri is one of the most charming villages in the province of Viterbo. Here, since 1974, the Bean Festival has closed out the Tuscia summer with three days of taste, music, and tradition: over half a century of uninterrupted editions that make it a true landmark among the popular festivals of northern Lazio. The event, organized by the Pro Loco Sutri APS with the patronage of the Municipality of Sutri, is traditionally held on the last weekend of August in Piazza Donatori di Sangue and the streets of the historic centre.

The Regina bean, a legendary legume

The undisputed star is the Regina bean of Sutri, a variety belonging to the borlotti family, characterized by its large size and cream-white colour streaked with red. Its most prized feature is its extraordinarily tender skin, which softens after just fifteen minutes of cooking, thanks to the acidic, low-calcium soil of the small, humid, and cool Sutri valleys. Recognized as a Traditional Agri-food Product (PAT) of Lazio, the legume boasts a history documented since the 18th century, when it replaced hemp crops, and in the early 20th century, it fueled a thriving trade towards Rome and Civitavecchia, even leading to the creation of the "La Regina" cooperative. Legend even has it that Charlemagne, while passing through Sutri, discovered its deliciousness and was cured of gout thanks to these very beans.

What to eat and see

For three evenings, the food stalls managed by Pro Loco volunteers offer traditional rustic dishes based on the Regina bean, from steaming soups to the most delicious local pairings, accompanied by local wines. The festival revolves around the table with a complete programme:

• Live concerts every evening in the square, featuring regional and national bands;
• Historical pageant with flag-throwers and musicians from Tuscia parading through the village streets;
• Sports and dance performances, family entertainment, and motorcycle rallies;
• Markets and a raffle with a final prize draw;
• The characteristic terracotta bowls, which have become a symbol of the festival, used to serve the beans.

An opportunity to discover Sutri

The festival is also the perfect excuse to visit the "Ancient City of Sutri", as it is known: the Roman amphitheatre entirely carved into the tufa, the mithraeum transformed into the Madonna del Parto church, the rock-cut necropolises along the Via Cassia, and the Romanesque Cathedral. The village, one of the most visited in Tuscia, is about fifty kilometres from Rome and thirty from Viterbo: at the end of August, the cool evenings of the Lazio countryside make strolling among the stalls even more pleasant.

An event looking to the future

After reaching the milestone of the fiftieth edition in 2024 and the success of the 51st in 2025, the festival continues its journey with the 52nd edition announced for the end of August 2026. The well-oiled organizational machine of the Pro Loco mobilizes dozens of volunteers every year and attracts thousands of visitors from all over Lazio to the village: proof that tradition in Sutri is more alive than ever.