Sagra dell'Uva di Marino
Every first Sunday of October, Marino pulls off one of Italy's most theatrical harvest festivals — the town's baroque fountain on Piazza Matteotti literally runs with free Castelli Romani white wine instead of water. Locals in Renaissance costume parade the streets while the scent of roasting chestnuts drifts through the medieval alleys.
A Festival Born in 1924
The Sagra dell'Uva has been celebrated since 1924, growing from a simple grape-harvest thanksgiving into a full weekend of pageantry, floats decorated with fresh grapes, and allegorical tableaux re-enacting the 1571 Battle of Lepanto — which Marino claims a proud role in.
The costumed procession alone draws thousands: knights in armour, noblewomen in brocade, and drummers whose beat echoes off the tufa-stone walls of the centro storico. Arrive early on Sunday morning to stake out a spot near the Fontana dei Mori before the crowds thicken.
The Wine Fountain Moment
At the climax of the parade, a lever is thrown and the Fontana dei Mori gushes cold Marino DOC white wine — genuinely drinkable, crisp Malvasia-Trebbiano blend — free for anyone with a cup or bottle.
Beyond the spectacle, the surrounding streets fill with stalls selling local porchetta, olive oil, homemade pasta, and the season's first new wine straight from barrel. It is a full sensory immersion into Castelli Romani food culture.
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