The Castelli Romani area used to have several volcanoes, which eventually formed crater lakes, now named Nemi and Albano. Wealthy Romans settled in the region because of it's refreshing summer temperatures, and later, Castel Gandolfo became the official summer residence of the Pope.
Today, the region is known for it's wine and porchetta. The grapes grow high in the Alban Hills, and benefit from the volcanic soil in the area. In 1996, the Castelli Romani region was authorized to produce special DOC protected wines, assuring an authentic and unique product you can't find anywhere else. One well known white wine originating from the area is Frascati, which has been produced in the area for thousands of years and is Roma's signature wine. Even Pope Gregory XVI mentioned that it was his personal favorite! There are several varieties to choose from, including dry, sparkling or sweet, but make sure the top of the bottle has a the DOC quality seal. During the festival however, most people drink Marino DOC wine, which is slightly different from Frascati because it has more flavor. While Frascati is permitted to be made up entirely of the Trebbiano variety of grapes, which have less flavor, Marino caps Trebbiano at 25% to 55% of the blend.
Porchetta is a delicious local specialty originating from Ariccia (another town close to Marino). You can read more about it here. If you are a fan of pork, be sure to pick up a porchetta panino from one of the local vendors during the festival. It will pair great with the white wines from the event.
To get yourself in the mood for this wonderful celebration, listen to a lovely song by Franco Silvestri, Na gita a li Castelli, which translates to "A Trip to the Castelli (Castles)". The song is also known as Nanni. It was written in 1926, a year after the first Festa di Sagra dell'uva. It has been performed by a number of well-known Italian performers, including this version by Alvaro Amici:
In the song he mentions that in the fountains of Marino wine flows instead of water:
You see here in Marino
there is the Festival of Grapes
fountains that give wine
how abundant there!
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| Lo vedi ecco Marino la Sagra c'è dell'Uva fontane che danno vino quant'abbondanza c'è! |
This actually exists. It's called "il miracolo delle fontane che danno vino", which means "the miracle of the fountain that gives wine". Every year, for one hour, the town of Marino has wine flow out of it's central fountain instead of water to pay tribute to the history of the festival. In the 16th century, General Marcantonio Colonna was named the Lord of Marino after his success in the Battle of Lepanto, and the people of Marino honored him in a huge feast.
The festivities start around 12:30 pm, when a variety of wine and food tastings will be given at Piazza San Barnaba. After some historical re-enactments of the victory parade of Marcantonio Colonna, il Miracolo (the Miracle) will begin from the Piazza San Barnaba's Fontana del Tritone at 5:30pm. Kegs will be gathered around the fountain and organizers will be distributing the famous wine. The festival continue into the evening.
If you happen to miss Sunday's events, il Miracolo also happens on 6pm, Monday evening.
The easiest way to get to the event is by train. From Termini Station, take the FL4 train for Marino. The train takes less than an hour, and drops you right into the action. Tickets are only a few euros, and the festival will surely be the highlight of your weekend! We serve some Castelli Romani wines on TramTracks too, so hop on and taste Roma's favorite wine for yourself.
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