The last weekend of October has everything you expect from autumn in the Monti Prenestini: new olive oil, chestnuts, woods changing colour. And the first event is right here at home. On Saturday night the clocks go back to standard time: on Sunday you get an extra hour of sleep.
Friday: games, chestnuts and jazz
Friday afternoon is for the little ones: in Zagarolo the Day of Play fills the historic centre with 19 games to try, from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM. At 5:00 PM the Cave Chestnut Festival opens, a quarter of an hour from San Vito: food stands and wine cellars open at 7:00 PM and the bands start playing in the squares at 9:00 PM. If you prefer an indoor concert, the Blue Mood Sound play “From Jazz to Pop” at the Auditorium Fabbrica della Musica in Colleferro, at 6:00 PM with free admission. Further away, in the Lepini Mountains, the fraschette taverns of the Segni Chestnut Festival open from Friday.
Saturday: Sanvitese at home and an afternoon in the villages
On Saturday it’s time to cheer: at the Campetto, Sanvitese Calcio a 5 host Pavona for matchday 7 of Serie C1, with kick-off at 4:00 PM.
For lunch, twenty minutes from home, Gerano opens the Zazzicchie and Verole Festival: the local sausage in a sandwich with broccoli rabe and roasted chestnuts, with covered food stands from 12:00 PM until the evening. On Saturday at 9:30 PM, in Piazza della Vittoria, there is also a tribute concert to Achille Lauro.
For dinner you are spoilt for choice. Ten minutes from San Vito, the Corn Pizzocchio Festival in Pisoniano opens at 7:30 PM with corn flatbread, sausage and broccoli rabe, followed by music and folk songs until late. In Sambuci, from 7:00 PM in Piazza di Corte, the Polenta Festival serves polenta with pork ribs or with Roman broccoli, with the flag-wavers of Ciciliano.
There are two more festivals in the Aniene Valley. In Affile the Fallone Festival starts at 4:00 PM with the historical parade and the flag-wavers; from 6:00 PM falloni, the town’s stuffed focaccia, are on sale, and at 9:00 PM the Brigallè play. In Agosta the Autumn Festival opens at 5:00 PM with roasted chestnuts, new wine and gnocchi with mutton sauce, with covered seating. Agosta is not yet officially confirmed, so check the Pro Loco’s channels.
If you feel like heading to the mountains, you can choose the Woods in Motion loop, a walk with yoga between Campaegli and Camposecco, or the afternoon Nordic Walking of the Bridges in Subiaco, in support of Komen Italia (booking by Friday). In Cervara di Roma, for the opening of the restored Ponte della Valle, the Park offers a free day of guided tours, sun observation from the Fortress and tastings (these must be booked).
Late in the afternoon there is a book and some music: at 5:00 PM the presentation of “Mare Nero” by Marco Ansaldo at the MuDi in Castel San Pietro Romano, at 6:00 PM a jazz version of Carmina Burana in Piazza Conti in Poli, during the Culture Days, and also at 6:00 PM three local choirs at Armonie d’Autunno, at the Colleferro Auditorium with free admission. Please note: Colleferro’s Chilli Pepper Festival, planned for the whole weekend, has been cancelled because of the road blockades linked to the truck drivers’ protests.
In the evening, head back to Cave to hear Alla Riversa and Malagrazia. If you prefer theatre, at 9:00 PM there is “Voices beyond the border” at the Teatro Comunale in Colleferro, a show of memories and testimonies.
Sunday: the Olive Grove Walk in San Vito
Our tip of the week is the Olive Grove Walk, meeting at 10:00 AM in Via Guido Baccelli, in front of the post office. It is about two kilometres through the historic centre up to Via Porta Olevano, with guided visits to churches and palaces, followed by the La Rosciola olive mill, with a tasting of the new oil and an optional lunch at €15 per person (booking required). In case of bad weather the event is cancelled, so check on the morning itself.
If you want to walk further, the Simbruini mountains offer:
- hikes for every pace: from the easy Autumn in Campaegli, 12 km from Cervara di Roma that are also fine for youngsters, to the Way of Stone and Water from Jenne to the Trevi Waterfall, with booking by Thursday;
- at Monte Livata: Forest Bathing along trail 672/C, the hike to Monte Autore and, for families, the last Sunday with the bees of the Mieleria nel Bosco.
If you would rather run, there is the Corrincastagna in Cave, a 9.6 km race starting at 9:15 AM from Piazza Santa Croce.
The afternoon offers several options:
- in Genazzano, at 4:00 PM at the Teatro Cinema Italia, the documentary “Oltre il muro” about the fresco of Our Lady of Good Counsel, with free admission and the director in attendance; then, at 5:00 PM, the closing event of the “Dentro l’Oro” Biennale at Castello Colonna, on its last day;
- the final day of the festival in Cave and of the Segni Chestnut Festival, where the historical Copéta parade with flag-wavers sets off at 4:00 PM and a concert by Hernicantus closes the festival at 9:00 PM;
- in Gerano, the second day of the zazzicchie festival, with the parade of vintage cars by the Ferraristi dell’Appia Antica;
- in Sambuci, lunch at the polenta festival from 12:00 PM and the guided tour of Theodoli Castle led by ladies in period dress;
- in Affile, the festival lunch with polenta and pork ribs at 1:00 PM and, at 4:00 PM, the Contest of the Contrade that closes the Palio;
- at 5:30 PM, at the San Cesareo town auditorium, the comedy “Zitelloni in Casa”, with a free-will donation for cystic fibrosis care;
- at 5:30 PM “Porry Pastorel - Civic Duty” at the MuDi in Castel San Pietro Romano, commemorating the massacre that was averted in 1943, with the short film about Adolfo Porry Pastorel and the mayor and the museum director in attendance;
- to round off the day, Mozart’s “Gran Partita” played by 13 clarinets in Colleferro, at 6:00 PM with free admission.
If you only have half a day: the Olive Grove Walk in the morning and the chestnuts of Cave in the afternoon, all within a quarter of an hour from home.
Times, prices and contacts for each event are on the events pages: always have a look before you set off, because programmes can change.