Soriano Chestnut Festival 2025

For centuries, Monte Cimino has been highly regarded as a source of excellent chestnuts, and Soriano’s annual Sagra delle Castagne - the Chestnut Festival - reflects this pride in the mountain’s bounty.

The Sagra is a three-week long medieval celebration in Soriano nel Cimino, and it dominates the town for the first three weeks of October. Wooden gates, towers, and other medieval structures transform the streets; shopkeepers sport wooden signage with period artistic designs.

Among the festivities are exhibitions of archery, falconry, horseback riding, and trades like woodworking and blacksmithing, as well as kiosks selling all manner of crafts and foodstuffs. There’s plenty to eat and drink - each neighborhood constructs a medieval-style tavern where people gather to celebrate the fall harvest. And of course the chestnut roasters are on constant call.

The highlight of the Sagra is generally the Corteo Storico - the historic procession of the four Rioni of Soriano. The town has four neighborhoods called Rione (sometimes called “Contrada” in other towns), each with its own historical identity. The procession of each Rione into Soriano’s central piazza is led by representations of the local nobility, followed by their own particular personages - all in authentic medieval or Renaissance outfits.

First comes Rione della Rocca: Being the medieval castle and gated fortress on the top of town, it’s characterized by the military force stationed there. Their soldiers exhibit athletic swordplay in the Piazza accompanied by their band of trumpets and drums. Rione Papacqua, the area dominated by the once-opulent Palazzo Chigi and its Renaissance fountains, represent the elite nobles and merchants. Rione Trinità is the seat of the clergy class, and their procession include a dizzying display of flag-throwing.

Then there’s our own Rione, where we live: San Giorgio, named for the ancient Chiesa di San Giorgio right up the street from our house. This is the neighborhood of the contadini (farmers) and pellegrini (pilgrims). But it is also represented by the red cross of San Giorgio, and a dragon insignia - Saint George is the same legendary figure that famously slayed the dragon, and he rides into the piazza on horseback during the Corteo.

The procession of our Rione, after the initial members of the “nobility”, includes a lot of symbols of the harvest - a wagon, a plow, and other farming equipment, and farmers carrying baskets of olives, herbs, fruit, and of course chestnuts. There are also personifications of the seasons, and - since this is grape-collecting season as well - a Bacchus-like figure also makes an appearance. At the same time, priests and pilgrims of the San Giorgio church nod to the religious influence.

But first comes the show-stopper: A parade-float-sized dragon, creatively rendered by our crafty fellow San Giorgio neighbors, enters the square. It’s accompanied by fire-breathers representing the dragon’s fiery breath. Then San Giorgio rides in to slay the creature and make the land safe for its denizens.

We’ve watched various parts of the Sagra for years now - it really is unmissable. But this year was different - I was invited to walk in the procession of the Rione San Giorgio! I was dressed as a contadino - a simple linen shirt, cloth pants, a wool cloak, and boots with flat soles. A panel of judges in the piazza audience were evaluating each contrada for authenticity, so I took off my rings lest they judge harshly any non-contemporaneous jewelry. (I may have surreptitiously slipped some gel inserts into the bottoms of my medieval shoes, though, to give my old feet a break.)

I took many of the pictures of the San Giorgio crew while we waited our turn, a block from the piazza. When it came time for our procession (after the whole dragon thing - I didn’t get to actually see that part), I was assigned what I considered a post of honor - one of two “peasants” leading the group of contadini, and pulling a plow (aratro).

Whether or not pulling the plow is actually a position of prestige, I was so excited to get this opportunity to walk with our neighbors. We’ve always been happy to watch the many spectacles of the Sagra from the stands, and cheer slightly louder for San Giorgio!

But to participate in the spectacle as a resident - it feels like we’re that much closer to being veramente Sorianese.

Viva San Giorgio!!!