Vignanello's 26th Festival of New Olive Oil and Vino Novello: 6-8 and 13-15 November 2026. Castello Ruspoli, underground tunnels and mills near Rome.
In mid-November the air in Vignanello smells of two things: freshly pressed olives and must that turned into wine only a few weeks ago. This is the Festival of New Olive Oil and Vino Novello, which in 2026 reaches its 26th edition and fills two weekends: 6-7-8 and 13-14-15 November. If you are looking for a weekend away from Rome once summer is long gone, it is one of the most honest ways to get to know Tuscia: a village in the Cimini hills in the province of Viterbo, a castle, and new oil on bread. For two, the festival is a good excuse for a romantic weekend near Rome: cellars, new oil and no hurry.
A festival for the new season
The Pro Loco describes it simply: a way to celebrate the new season of wine and oil, when both are at their youngest and most intense. Through the medieval streets drift the smell of freshly made wine, of olives at the height of the pressing, and of roasted chestnuts, cooked in big pans set out along the lanes.
There are stalls with local produce, trails devoted to old crafts and historical re-enactments, built with real care over materials and sources: the aim is to let you try the old trades with your own hands, not to put them behind glass. This is where you taste pamparito, Vignanello's aniseed bread shaped like a maritozzo bun and protected as a De.C.O. local product, and wine from a DOC that carries the village's name.
Castello Ruspoli and the Connutti
During the festival the Pro Loco runs guided tours of Castello Ruspoli, of the Connutti of underground Vignanello and of the baroque Collegiate Church. These are the three things not to miss.
- Castello Ruspoli was turned into a residence in the 16th century and passed to the Farnese, then the Marescotti and finally the Ruspoli. Its garden is considered a classic example of the Italian formal garden. The tours during the festival are organised by the Pro Loco.
- The Connutti are the tunnels running beneath the old town: the word is local dialect, and their origin is still partly a mystery. Some were probably dug by the Faliscans to carry water. In the main tunnel you can still see the terracotta pipes of the aqueduct that Ottavia Orsini built in the early 1600s to bring water to the castle garden. The visit starts beneath the Collegiate Church: wear comfortable shoes, and give it a miss if you are claustrophobic.
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.
The oil and wine trails
The most precious part of the festival is also the quietest. Throughout the event, Pro Loco guides lead visitors along the wine and oil trails: into the old cellars of the centre, carved into the tuff, and out to the olive mill, to watch olives become oil. Past editions also had guided tastings, one for oil and one for wine, and taverns open for lunch and dinner.
The detailed 2026 programme, with times and menus, should be checked on the official Pro Loco Vignanello website: at the end of September the festival page already announced the dates of the 26th edition, while the day-by-day programme was still last year's.
Planning your visit
- Pick your weekend. There are two, alike in spirit: the first falls just after the All Saints' holiday, the second a week later.
- Ask the Pro Loco about the tours. It runs the castle, Connutti and Collegiate Church visits: times and arrangements come from them.
- Start from the square. In past years the info point was in Piazza della Repubblica: that is where you sign up and ask.
- Bring an extra layer. Underground the tuff keeps things cool, and November evenings in the Cimini hills are cold.
- Leave room in the boot. New oil is bought here, straight from the people who make it.
A whole November
Vignanello is the same town as the August Wine Festival, and November is when its cellars go back to working for themselves. To learn how to recognise new oil and which mills open their doors this season, read our guide to new olive oil in Tuscia. For the cellars, the Vignanello DOC and its Greco, see Tuscia wineries. Every festival in the province is gathered on our Events and festivals in Tuscia page.
Where to stay
Villa Vacanze Valentina is in Bassano in Teverina, in the province of Viterbo: Vignanello is about 25 minutes away, Viterbo 25, the A1 Orte exit 15 and Rome one hour. Two apartments in the villa, for up to four guests each, and the Lovers' Cottage for two, standing on its own with its own garden.
In November the house is lived in the warm: heating, full kitchens to cook what you bought from the producers and, in one of the two apartments, an open fireplace with firewood included. A slice of bread, Vignanello oil, the fire lit. For winter around here there is our Winter in Tuscia page, and everything about the house is on the holiday home near Viterbo page.
Dates come from the official Pro Loco Vignanello website, checked at the end of September 2026; times, tours and menus may change: check them before you set off.
