Vallepietra Fagiolone Bean Festival

The festival of the iconic legume of the Simbruini Mountains

The Fagiolone Bean Festival — also known in some editions as the Autumn Festival — is the most anticipated gastronomic event in Vallepietra, a small mountain village in the upper Aniene Valley, within the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital. Every year, in mid-November, the village rallies around its signature product: the Vallepietra fagiolone, a bean with large, pearly-white seeds, recognized as a Slow Food Presidium and listed among the Traditional Agri-food Products (PAT) of the Lazio region. In 2025, the event reached its 22nd edition, confirming its status as one of the most genuine autumn festivals in the region.

The Vallepietra fagiolone, the «ciavattone»

Locally known as ciavattone, this bean grows only in this mountain basin, where the pure waters of the Simbrivio river and the cool high-altitude climate give the legume a thin skin, a dense and creamy texture, and a delicate flavor that is almost meaty yet light and digestible. Its cultivation, passed down through generations, dates back to the 16th century, when local farmers began growing it alongside corn and processing it at the village water mill. Even today, the fagiolone is grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers in an unspoiled high-altitude environment.

The celebration in Piazza Italia

The heart of the festival is the large, covered, and heated marquee set up in Piazza Italia. Starting at 12:30 PM, volunteers serve a menu entirely dedicated to the legume: sagne e fagioli — featuring handmade pasta prepared in advance by the village cooks — stewed fagioloni with sausage, and plain fagioloni, all accompanied by a glass of wine, bread, and artisanal sweets. In the 2025 edition, the full menu cost 15 euros. Alongside the culinary offerings, there is a traditional charity raffle, with the prize draw taking place on Sunday afternoon.

A community celebration

Behind the festival is the hard work of the Vallepietra Pro Loco volunteers, supported by the Municipality and the local senior center. In the 2024 edition, over 350 meals were served in a single morning, a result that testifies to the growing appeal of the event. As the organizers explain, the festival is a moment of pride for all the people of Vallepietra, who open their homes and offer visitors the hospitality and gastronomic heritage of the village. The event is supported by the Lazio Region, Arsial, the Municipality of Vallepietra, and the Simbruini Mountains Regional Natural Park.

Vallepietra, a village in the upper Aniene Valley

The Municipality of Vallepietra, one of the smallest and most secluded in the province of Rome, is situated in a spectacular position within the Simbruini Mountains Regional Natural Park, the largest regional park in Lazio. A few kilometers from the village lies the famous Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity, a destination for pilgrims from all over Central Italy every year. The November festival is the ideal opportunity to discover the village, the park's trails, and the high-altitude flavors of the Lazio mountains.

Tips for your visit

November in the mountains can be chilly: the marquee is heated, but it is still advisable to wear warm clothing for walking through the village alleys. Seats fill up quickly, so it is recommended to arrive when the service opens. The festival is also a great opportunity to learn more about the fagiolone and meet the Slow Food Presidium producers.