Vejano Flavors Festival

A festival in the heart of Tuscia

The Flavors Festival is the most anticipated summer event in Vejano, a small village in the Tuscia region of the Viterbo province, in northern Lazio. For three evenings in mid-July, Piazza XX Settembre turns into a large open-air dining room celebrating the iconic dishes of local peasant cuisine: Ceciarello, Tuscia truffles, and specialties prepared according to time-honored recipes. The festival, organized by the Pro Loco of Vejano, is also a perfect opportunity to discover one of the most characteristic villages in the area, with its medieval alleys and views over the Viterbo countryside.

Ceciarello, the pride of Vejano

The absolute star of the festival is Ceciarello, the village's gastronomic heritage. It is born from a very simple dough of water and durum wheat flour, strictly hand-worked until small gnocchi-like shapes are formed—resembling chickpeas, hence the name. It is cooked in a bean broth enriched with wild herbs gathered in the surrounding woods and, in its richest version, topped with local truffles. During the festival, the recipe is also demonstrated to the public: more than just a dish, they say in Vejano, it is an act of love kneaded with water, flour, and tradition.

Tuscia Truffles and Peasant Cuisine

Alongside Ceciarello, the food stalls offer a menu that showcases Tuscia truffles in various ways—truffle fettuccine, truffle eggs, truffle ceciarello—along with stew, skewers, bruschetta, fried foods, and local wines. It is genuine, no-frills cooking that tells the agricultural history of this corner of Lazio better than any book.

Pizza a Fiamma and Gnoccarello

Vejano also guards another gastronomic treasure: Pizza a Fiamma, a soft and fragrant pizza prepared on the spot and cooked over the open flames of a wood-fired oven, following a custom documented since the early 20th century, when it was baked while the flames were still high. The product has been included in the Slow Food Ark of Taste, which promotes its knowledge and preservation; it is traditionally enjoyed filled with sautéed chicory or ricotta. In some summers, the village dedicates a weekend of festivities in early July to this specialty, along with Gnoccarello, called "Vejano and... Pizza a Fiamma," featuring workshops, shows, and stalls: the two gastronomic themes together make up the Vejano summer of flavors.

Three evenings in the square

The formula of the Flavors Festival is that of the best village fairs: the food stall opens in the evening, the long tables fill up, and live music accompanies dinner until late. Over the years, the program has featured dance nights with local orchestras and bands, prize raffles, games in the square for children, and even burraco tournaments, in a festive atmosphere that involves the whole town and visitors arriving from neighboring villages and Rome.

Vejano, a village to discover

The festival is the perfect excuse to visit Vejano, a small town perched in the Viterbo Tuscia. The fortress (Rocca) that dominates the town, the 16th-century Cappella dei Santacroce, the Peasant Museum, and, just outside the town, the evocative Mola di Oriolo are all worth a stroll. The Municipality of Vejano and the Lazio Region support the promotion of these traditions, which make the small center an authentic stop for those exploring the hinterland north of Rome.