Wild Boar Festival and Frying Pan Palio

A festival of taste and tradition in the Rieti Sabina

Every summer, Colli sul Velino, a village of a few hundred inhabitants in the Province of Rieti, in the heart of Lazio, brings one of its most cherished events to life: the Wild Boar Festival and Frying Pan Palio. Organized by the Pro Loco Colli sul Velino APS with the patronage of the Municipality, the festival combines two complementary spirits—traditional cuisine and historical re-enactment—attracting visitors from all over the area to this small center overlooking the Valle Santa and the Piediluco Lake valley.

The Wild Boar Festival: flavors of the forest

For a few evenings in August, the streets and squares of the village transform into a large open-air tavern. Food stands offer typical dishes of the local Rieti peasant tradition, prepared with zero-mile ingredients and the wild boar meat that gives the festival its name. Among the most popular specialties:

• Pappardelle with wild boar and gnocchi with sauce;
• Wild boar stew cooked according to the local recipe;
• Gnocchi with mutton sauce and grilled meat;
• Wood-fired bread, local olive oil, and homemade desserts.

The format is that of a great village feast: long outdoor tables, a convivial atmosphere, and genuine local products.

The Frying Pan Palio: the district challenge

The most anticipated moment is the Frying Pan Palio, a historical competition that recreates rural games from two centuries ago. Participants wear 19th-century costumes and parade through the village streets. The three districts of the village—Centro, Castellina, and Maccarese—compete for the coveted Frying Pan along a course set up with hay bales. The re-enactment, which reached its 26th edition in 2025, is the identity-defining heart of the festival and fuels a playful rivalry that involves the entire community, from children to the elderly.

Music, games, and dance evenings

Alongside the food stands and the Palio, the program traditionally includes dance evenings with ballroom orchestras and live music, as well as traditional games for adults and children set up in the town squares, particularly in Piazza I° Maggio. The festival thus maintains its character as a gathering for all families, where entertainment, gastronomy, and historical memory coexist.

Colli sul Velino and the Valle Santa

Located between the Valle Santa and the Piediluco Lake valley, Colli sul Velino is a small municipality in Lazio with a strong bond to its traditions. The Wild Boar Festival and Frying Pan Palio represents the main opportunity for the village to open up to visitors and showcase the cuisine, landscape, and community spirit of this little-known corner of the Province of Rieti.