Autumn events and festivals in Tuscia 2026: what to do (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, from 31 August to 13 September 2026: 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.

Also in early September, Caprarola holds its Hazelnut Festival, dedicated to the fruit that is the symbol of the Cimini Mountains.

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, Caprarola, San Martino al Cimino and Latera too — a whole circuit of villages, roast chestnuts and cellars, each with its own weekend.

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.

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 the pool instead of the traffic. Discover the holiday home with pool or write to us for the September and October dates.

Photo: Bassano in Teverina © Cosmin latan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.