Marino Wine Festival (Sagra dell’Uva di Marino) 2024 in Rome

On the first Sunday of October, the small town of Marino, just 20 km from Rome, transforms into a haven for wine enthusiasts. The Sagra dell'Uva di Marino is a one-of-a-kind celebration, setting itself apart from other harvest festivals with a special tradition: the miracle of the central fountain flowing with wine, free for all to enjoy.

Festival Highlights

During the festival days, you can see the whole town decorated with branches of grapes, live musicians playing around, fairs, markets, and people wearing medieval costumes. This all has another reason behind it. Sagra dell'Uva commemorates the victorious return of Admiral Marcantonio Colonna to Marino after winning the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. In memory of this, citizens start the festival with the procession, and around 5 pm, they start distributing wine from the Fountain of the Four Moors to the crowd.

2024 Edition

First held in 1925, the Grape Festival has grown into a true symbol of Marino. This year, the Sagra dell'Uva di Marino celebrates its 100th edition, bringing vibrant energy and color to the streets from September 27 to October 7. Marino Wine Festival is a wonderful idea for those who want to experience a real non-touristy festival and feel the Italian spirit while traveling around Rome.

Program

The streets of the historic center will turn into a lively open-air stage, offering events for everyone. Visitors can enjoy wine tastings featuring local varieties paired with delicious dishes made from regional ingredients. Concerts, theatrical performances, and folkloric shows will fill the air with excitement, engaging both adults and children. Visitors can also participate in different competitions like uphill barrel races or grape tossing into barrels, rooted in Marino's winemaking tradition.

As a special highlight, the traditional "miracle of the fountains" will take place, where wine flows from the fountains in the historic center, creating a one-of-a-kind experience for all. Leone Ciprelli took up the idea of ​​making wine flow from the fountains of Marino from the ancient practice of using statues and fountains to pour wine during the celebrations of the Colonna family, who were famous for their excesses and the pomp of their parties.

Festival Origins

The festival's founder was the Roman poet and author Ercole Pellini, better known by his stage name, Leone Ciprelli, born in Rome in 1873. He created the event to boost Marino's economy by linking two key aspects of the town's heritage: the grape harvest and wine production, which were vital to Marino's economy, and the city's significant historical event—the victory at the Battle of Lepanto. The festival was scheduled for the first Sunday of October to commemorate the Christian fleet's triumph over the Turkish fleet on Sunday, October 7, 1571, in the Gulf of Lepanto. Marcantonio Colonna, a key figure from Marino, played a pivotal role as a lieutenant in this decisive victory, halting the Turkish advance into Europe.