Viticuso Abbuóto De.C.O. Festival

The August 16th festival in Viticuso

For over thirty years, August 16th has been the date every local marks on their calendar: it is the day of the Abbuóto De.C.O. Festival, the event that transforms Piazza dei Caduti into the gastronomic living room of the upper Ciociaria. Established in the early nineties and reaching its 34th edition in 2025, the festival is organized by the Municipality of Viticuso together with the local community, attracting visitors from across the province of Frosinone and the nearby regions of Molise and Campania the day after Ferragosto.

The Viticuso abbuóto, a unique sausage

The abbuóto (meaning "wrapped" in the local dialect) is a cooked sheep-meat sausage, seasoned with spices and characterized by a filling of egg and bell pepper. It is a rare product tied to the ancient tradition of transhumance: shepherds prepared it to preserve meat for long periods during their seasonal migrations. Today, very few butchers still produce it, which is why the Viticuso abbuóto has been included in the Slow Food Foundation's Ark of Taste, the international catalog of endangered food heritage. Since 2024, the sausage has also been protected by the De.C.O. (Municipal Designation of Origin), officially presented during the festival: during the event, stalls marked with a red flag serve the authentic De.C.O. abbuóto produced within the municipal territory.

A full day of celebration

The festival is more than just a dinner in the square: it is a full day that begins in the morning and lasts until late at night. Recent editions have featured:

• the free tasting of abbuóto in the late afternoon, the symbolic highlight of the event;
• about fifteen food stalls serving abbuóto sandwiches, traditional pasta dishes like pasta e fagioli and tardaglione, local cheeses, and craft beer;
• workshops by reservation dedicated to identifying wild herbs, medicinal plants, and pairings between cheeses, wines, and abbuóto;
• the "ViticuSANA" bike ride along the scenic trails surrounding the village;
• visits to the museum dedicated to Eduardo Paolozzi, the master of British Pop Art whose family roots lie in Viticuso;
• entertainment for children, roving street bands (such as Sassinfunky and Boomerang Orkestra), and the evening concert in the square.

Viticuso, the balcony of Ciociaria

The Municipality of Viticuso is one of the smallest and highest villages in the province of Frosinone, perched on the mountains on the eastern border of Lazio, not far from Cassino. It is a town of a few hundred inhabitants that rediscovers its identity every year through this festival: emigration has taken the people of Viticuso all over the world—the family of artist Eduardo Paolozzi being the most famous example—and on August 16th, many return to gather around the dish of their memories. For visitors, it is an opportunity to discover a secluded and genuine corner of Ciociaria, amidst mountain air, forests, and still-vibrant pastoral traditions.

Why visit

Because you will hardly find abbuóto anywhere else: tasting it in its village of origin, on the day of its festival, is a small journey into the gastronomic history of southern Lazio. And because the festival preserves the authentic dimension of village feasts: free admission, popular prices, a bustling square, and an entire community welcoming those who arrive.