From late August to October Tuscia is one festival after another: the Ottava Medievale of Orte, the Macchina di Santa Rosa, the chestnut festivals. The calendar of events not to miss near Viterbo — and where to stay.
There is a time of year when Tuscia is at its best, and it is the end of summer. From late August to October the villages around Viterbo fill with medieval re-enactments, food festivals and traditional feasts: two months in which, every weekend, there is something to see a few minutes down the road. Here is our calendar of the events not to miss — the real ones, the ones we recommend to our guests.
Late August and September: the re-enactments
The first big date is the Ottava Medievale of Orte, held in 2026 from 31 August to 13 September and back every year from the last day of August to the second Sunday of September: two weeks in which the tufa-perched village goes back to the fourteenth century, with taverns, historical processions and the Archers' Palio. It is a quarter of an hour from us — here is the full guide.
Then the most spectacular night of the year: the Macchina di Santa Rosa, on 3 September in Viterbo, when a hundred men carry a nearly 30-metre illuminated tower on their shoulders, recognised by UNESCO. To see at least once in a lifetime — how it works and where to stand.
Between late August and early September, Caprarola holds its Hazelnut Festival, dedicated to the fruit that is the symbol of the Cimini Mountains. Between stalls, walk up to the Palazzo Farnese, which towers over the town.
Where to stay
Villa Vacanze Valentina is in Bassano in Teverina, in the green heart of Tuscia: two apartments in the villa and a cottage for two.
October: the month of chestnuts
October in Tuscia means chestnuts. The most famous is the Chestnut Festival of Soriano nel Cimino, on the first weekends of the month, with the village in medieval costume at the foot of the Orsini castle (the guide). But it is not the only one: the Chestnut Festivals light up the whole month in Canepina, Vallerano and Latera too, where it is the Sagra del Marrone — a whole circuit of villages, roast chestnuts and cellars, each with its own weekend.
The calendar at a glance — autumn 2026
- 31 Aug – 13 Sep: Ottava Medievale of Orte (15 min)
- Late August – early September: Hazelnut Festival, Caprarola (35 min)
- 3 September: Macchina di Santa Rosa, Viterbo (25 min)
- October: Chestnut Festival of Soriano (20 min) and the Chestnut Festivals in Canepina and Vallerano, the Sagra del Marrone in Latera
Exact dates and programmes change every year: check the official websites of each event close to the dates.
Why it pays to base yourself here
The beauty of these events is that they are all barely half an hour from one another, and all close to us. From a single base you can see a re-enactment one weekend and a festival the next, without changing hotel — and in between there are Bomarzo, the Terme dei Papi and Civita di Bagnoregio. Autumn, moreover, is the best season for Tuscia: woods turning colour, villages without crowds and perfect temperatures. If September is your month, there is also our guide to September in Tuscia.
Where to stay for the events of Tuscia
Villa Vacanze Valentina is in Bassano in Teverina, at the geographic heart of all these dates: 15 minutes from Orte, 20 from Soriano, 25 from Viterbo, 10 from Bomarzo. In the evening you come back to the silence of the countryside, with a quiet dinner instead of the traffic. Discover the holiday home with pool or write to us for the October dates. And beyond autumn, our Tuscia events and festivals calendar covers the whole year, season by season.
Photo: Bassano in Teverina © Cosmin latan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
And when autumn slides into the cold, Tuscia doesn't close down: here is what winter in Tuscia has to offer, between the fireplace and the hot springs.
