Tivoli Pizzutello Festival

The Queen of Tivoli Grapes

In Tivoli, just outside Rome, the end of summer has always tasted like the sweet pizzutello, an elongated, pointed table grape—also known as the "horn grape"—cultivated for centuries in the terraced gardens of the Valle dell'Inferno, beneath the Aniene waterfalls. The Pizzutello Festival is the annual event celebrating this iconic fruit: three days of tastings, folk parades, conferences, music, and conviviality that transform the historic center into a grand popular celebration.

A Tradition Born in 1845

The festival's roots go back to October 2, 1845, when the people of Tivoli welcomed Pope Gregory XVI—who had come to inspect the Aniene river diversion works following the devastating floods of the early century—by decorating the streets with vine shoots and baskets full of pizzutello. Nearly a century later, in 1931, Tivoli brought an ox-drawn wagon laden with grapes to the National Grape Festival in Rome, winning first prize in 1932; the Pizzutello Festival was officially established in 1933. Since then, the event has reached its 77th edition as of 2025.

The Pizzutello, a Slow Food Presidium

Recognized as a Slow Food Presidium, the Tivoli pizzutello is an excellent quality grape, crunchy and fragrant, whose heroic cultivation survives thanks to a few passionate gardeners. The festival was created specifically to promote and protect this product, which represents the agricultural identity of Tivoli, featuring a Slow Food stand in Piazza Garibaldi, the Pizzutello Museum on Via della Sibilla, and free guided tours of the historic gardens.

How the Festival Unfolds

The typical program of the festival combines culture, flavor, and entertainment:

• Free tastings of pizzutello in Piazza Garibaldi, with bunches distributed to visitors;
• Farm wagon parade decorated with grapes, accompanied by a marching band and majorettes, from Piazza Rivarola to Piazza Garibaldi;
• Guided tours of the Pizzutello Gardens in the Valle dell'Inferno and the Sanctuary of Hercules Victor, extending to the historic pizzutello vineyard in the gardens of Villa d'Este;
• Folk performances and evening concerts, featuring traditional groups like Le Tamburellare Tiburtine;
• Convivial dinner in the square and conferences dedicated to the history and future of the product.

The Settembre Tiburtino

The festival is the heart of the Settembre Tiburtino, the traditional calendar of cultural, religious, and recreational events with which Tivoli bids farewell to summer: concerts, exhibitions, archaeological walks, and re-enactments that take place over several weeks, traditionally between the second and third Sunday of September and beyond.

Tivoli, a City of Art in Lazio

Organized by the Municipality of Tivoli in collaboration with the Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este Institute (VILLÆ), Slow Food, and local associations, the festival is also the perfect opportunity to discover one of the most extraordinary cities in the Lazio region and the Metropolitan City of Rome: Villa d'Este, Hadrian's Villa, and Villa Gregoriana, all UNESCO World Heritage sites and wonders of the Grand Tour, are just a few steps away from the festival squares.