Villano Festival (Vivi e Gusta Marta)

A rustic feast on the shores of Lake Bolsena

The Villano Festival is one of the most beloved gastronomic events in the town of Marta, a small fishing village overlooking Lake Bolsena in the province of Viterbo, in the heart of the Lazio region's Tuscia area. Every year in June, the Porto area at the end of the lakefront transforms into a large open-air dining room, where visitors rediscover the flavors of the past, accompanied by traditional rural songs and customs.

The name says it all: the "villano" is the peasant, and the festival was born to pay homage to the hard work of the land and the humble, hearty cuisine that has nourished generations of families in this corner of Lazio. There is nothing pretentious here, and that is precisely the point: substantial dishes, generous portions, affordable prices, and a village-fair atmosphere that has remained unchanged over time.

What to eat

The menu of the traditional dinner is the heart of the event and remains faithful to local butchery traditions. Recent editions have featured:

• Appetizers with aged lonza, prosciutto, and capocollo;
• Pasta with pork ragù, hand-rolled by the local club's cooks;
• Pork stew with green olives;
• Beans with pork rinds, a signature dish of Tuscia's peasant cuisine;
• Homemade tarts and desserts.

Everything is paired with local wines, starting with Cannaiola di Marta, the native red grape variety that the town celebrates throughout the year. Dinner service typically begins at 6:00 PM.

Vivi e Gusta Marta: markets and the village

For several years, the Villano Festival has been intertwined with the "Vivi e Gusta Marta" event, which expands the focus from the plate to the entire village. Surrounding the dining area, you will find the Samarcanda market, dedicated to handicrafts, and the Earth Market, featuring local agricultural producers and regional businesses supported by Slow Food Viterbo and Tuscia: natural, organic, and short-supply-chain products.

We invite you not to stop at the table. Marta is worth a stroll: the historic center with its narrow alleys, the Clock Tower, the small fishing harbor, and the view opening onto Bisentina Island make a visit a small journey into the most authentic Tuscia.

Who organizes it

The event is organized by the Rolando Nibbio Socio-Cultural Club, with the patronage of the Municipality of Marta and the collaboration of the Alberto Lisoni cultural club, the Madonna del Monte festival committee, the Visit Marta business network, and the Lake Bolsena Tourist Consortium. The proceeds from the festival are traditionally donated to local social causes, which explains the high level of participation from volunteers and local families.

Why it is worth visiting

The Villano Festival is not a staged tourist attraction: it is a celebration the village hosts for itself, welcoming outsiders with open arms. If you are looking for the real Tuscia—the one of local clubs, cooks who have been kneading dough for weeks, and shared tables under gazebos—you will find it here, unfiltered, with Lake Bolsena providing the backdrop at sunset.