Zazzicchia Festival

A festival born in a butcher shop

The Zazzicchia Festival was founded in 2014 by Armando De Angelis, a young butcher from the historic family shop active in Sonnino since 1870. What began as a local village feast dedicated to a specialty product has grown year after year, thanks to the collaboration with the Pro Loco Sonnino APS, local restaurateurs, and associations, becoming one of the most anticipated food and wine events of the summer in the province of Latina.

The Sonnino Zazzicchia

The zazzicchia is the signature sausage of Sonnino, handmade according to a recipe passed down through generations and recognized by FederCarni among the best in Italy. It is the gastronomic symbol of this Monti Lepini village: selected meat, traditional seasoning, and an artisanal preparation that sets it apart from industrial sausages. During the festival, it can be enjoyed in all its forms, from grilled to traditional rustic Lepini recipes.

The food and wine trail in the historic center

The festival follows a 'scattered trail' format: a stroll through the medieval alleyways visiting five refreshment points distributed between Portella, Via Isola Castello, Piazza delle Erbe, Via di Mezzo, and Piazza San Pietro. Each stop offers a different preparation: grilled zazzicchia sandwiches with grilled vegetables, traditional bread and sausage soup, forest-scented trofie pasta, sausage ragù served over polenta, recipes with artichokes and guanciale, as well as artisanal cured meats and local buffalo mozzarella. Payment is made using tokens available in Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza delle Erbe, allowing visitors to move freely from stand to stand.

Music, folklore, and memories of brigandage

The festival is more than just food: the evenings are brought to life by live folk music, traditional dances, street performers, and roving shows throughout the village squares. A special place is reserved for historical re-enactments of the brigandage, a phenomenon that deeply marked Sonnino and the Monti Lepini in the 19th century, a borderland between the Papal States and the Kingdom of Naples. During the festival, the Museum of Borderlands (Museo delle Terre di Confine) also offers extraordinary openings, showcasing this chapter of local history.

Sonnino, a village of the Monti Lepini

The town of Sonnino, in the province of Latina, is a hilltop village in the Monti Lepini overlooking the Pontine plain, a short distance from Terracina and the sea. The historic center, with its towers, steep alleys, and stone houses, is the ideal setting for a celebration that blends gastronomy and identity: the festival is also an opportunity to discover one of the most authentic towns in southern Lazio, far from mass tourism circuits.

An early August appointment

The festival takes place every year on the first available weekend of August, in the evening, when the village fills with visitors from across the province and the nearby coast. The 2026 edition, the twelfth, is scheduled for Saturday, August 8th, and Sunday, August 9th: two evenings to taste zazzicchia in its hometown, amidst the scent of embers, music, and history.