Valle dei Calanchi Wine Festival (Torre Festival)

A festival overlooking the Valle dei Calanchi

The Valle dei Calanchi Wine Festival, which everyone in Lubriano simply calls the Torre Festival, is the most anticipated summer event in this small town in the Province of Viterbo, in the heart of the Lazio Tuscia. It takes place on the last weekend of July, when the streets and squares of the Ortale district — the oldest part of the village — transform into a large open-air dining room at the foot of the Torre Monaldeschi.

Lubriano stretches along a tuff spur at an altitude of 441 meters, right in front of the famous Civita di Bagnoregio. From the natural terraces of the historic center, the view sweeps over the calanchi, the clay ridges carved by erosion that give the entire valley its name: this scenery, more than anything else, makes the festival an unforgettable experience.

Wine, food, and music for three nights

The heart of the event is the dinners under the Tower: for three consecutive evenings, the stands set up by the Pro Loco offer traditional Lubriano specialties paired with wines from the Viterbo Teverina, the production area extending along the Tiber valley between Lazio and Umbria. Each night, a different band brings the squares to life with live music: past editions have featured folk music groups, Italian singer-songwriters, and folk repertoires in an informal and highly engaging atmosphere.

During the festival, the Torre Monaldeschi, the remains of the ancient medieval castle that once dominated the village, is opened to the public: climbing to the top at sunset, with a glass in hand and the Valle dei Calanchi glowing orange, is the experience that locals recommend to every visitor.

The «Brindisi in terrazza» program

The Torre Festival is not an isolated event but the most visible part of a broader program dedicated to wine culture. Between July and August, the Pro Loco also organizes Brindisi in terrazza (Toast on the Terrace): guided tastings hosted on the natural terraces of the historic center, where producers, accompanied by sommeliers, explain the characteristics of the wines and their food pairings. Throughout the rest of the year, the calendar is completed by History, Wine, Flavors, a series of tasting dinners in local restaurants, and Cantine in festa, the autumn appointment with guided tours of the wine cellars.

A centuries-old viticultural tradition

The bond between Lubriano and the vine is not a recent invention. As early as 1292, according to the land registry records of the time, vines occupied 15.72% of the town's agricultural land: a very high percentage, which shows how much wine has influenced the economy and identity of this community for centuries. The July festival is, ultimately, the way the village continues to honor that history.

An event in the Tuscia Wine Festivals circuit

The event is part of the Tuscia Wine Festivals circuit, promoted by the Viterbo Chamber of Commerce, which every summer networks the main wine festivals of the province — from Gradoli to Castiglione in Teverina, from Vignanello to Lubriano. Participating in the Torre Festival means embarking on a broader journey to discover the wines and villages of the Tuscia region.

What to expect

• Open-air dinners in the squares of the Ortale, at the foot of the Torre Monaldeschi
• Traditional Lubriano cuisine paired with Teverina wines
• Live music every night
• Special opening of the Torre Monaldeschi with views of the Valle dei Calanchi and Civita di Bagnoregio
• Guided «Brindisi in terrazza» tastings with producers and sommeliers

It is a village festival in the most authentic sense of the term: organized by Pro Loco volunteers, without grand displays, but with a setting that alone makes the trip to northern Lazio worthwhile.