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San Vincenzo Valle Roveto Wild Asparagus Festa
17 May @ 12:30 - 21:00 CEST
Wild asparagus has its day in Abruzzo on Sunday 17 May, when the Pro Loco of San Vincenzo Valle Roveto fires up its kitchens for the 22nd edition of Asparagi in Festa. This is one of the very few sagre in Abruzzo dedicated to gli asparagi selvatici themselves, rather than borrowing them as a side note on a wider spring menu.
Lunch is from 12:30 at the Pro Loco’s headquarters in San Vincenzo Valle Roveto Capoluogo. The fixed menu, €20 a head with booking essential, runs the full asparagus playbook:
Pane con crema di asparagi, lasagne al forno con asparagi, spaghetti con asparagi e guanciale, salsicce arrosto con frittata di asparagi, dolci tipici, plus acqua, vino e pane.
Live music from Demis Superstar to follow.
Bookings on 338 248 8340, or directly through the Pro Loco’s consiglio direttivo. The festival is run with the Comune di San Vincenzo Valle Roveto, the Regione Abruzzo, Terrextra DMC, and the Cooperativa di Comunità Terrenostre.
A Quick Word About the Oil on the Table
Take a moment to notice the olive oil on the table at Asparagi in Festa. San Vincenzo Valle Roveto makes one of Abruzzo’s most unique oils, and it brings out the best in every dish. The olives are grown using biodynamic methods on mountain terraces above the warmer valley groves. Because the fruit ripens later up there, the oil has a bold, peppery flavour that pleasantly lingers at the back of your throat.
The local community offers a tree adoption program, supported by an EU CAP farming grant. For about 60 euros, you get 4 litres of oil, some soap, a plaque, and a certificate. If you enjoy the oil during your meal, you can buy some to take home. If you visit in autumn, the Frantoi Aperti weekend after San Martino in November is a great way to learn more. I’ve shared more details in Olive Fatigue Banished by San Vincenzo VR Spicy Olive Oil.
While You Are There
San Vincenzo is tucked into the Valle Roveto, surrounded by the Monti Ernici, the Simbruini, and Pizzo Deta, with the river Liri flowing through. This peaceful valley is one of Abruzzo’s quietest spots and is worth spending a whole day exploring. Here are a few ideas for your visit:
Cascate di Zompo lo Schioppo, Morino: This is one of the tallest waterfalls in the Apennines, located in a nature reserve just up the valley. The reserve office is shut due to a lack of funding, but the reserve still makes a great walk. The nearby ghost village of Morino Vecchio is also worth a short walk, if only for the peaceful silence.
Civita d’Antino: This medieval village sits at 904 meters and is listed among the Borghi Autentici d’Italia. In the late 1800s, Danish painter Kristian Zahrtmann established a painting school here, and today the village’s landscapes are found in Scandinavian museums. The Museo Archeologico Antinum is also worth a visit.
The old borghi trail: Morrea, San Vincenzo Vecchio, and San Giovanni Vecchio are perched above the modern towns. These villages were abandoned or partly abandoned after the 1915 earthquake. They are connected by a 15-kilometre olive trekking route, marked with CAI signs and information boards. You can walk the trail on your own outside of festival weekends.
Canistro: This town is well known in Italy for its mineral water springs. The historic centre, Palazzo Vecchiarelli Mancini, Eremo della Fonticella, and Parco La Sponga are all just a short drive away.
The hermitages: The Eremi della Valle Roveto are scattered across the slopes of Pizzo Deta and the Monti Ernici, connected by walking trails. You can visit one or two in a morning, or spend a full day making a longer loop.
If you stay in San Vincenzo during the festival weekend, you can easily enjoy lunch in the piazza one day, take a walk to the waterfall, and explore the old villages the next.