The Nemi Strawberry Festival Celebrates The Best In Italy

Only an hour long drive from the center of Rome, the Nemi Strawberry Festival is an annual celebration of their unique local product, the strawberry.

A sagra  in Italy is a festival that celebrates the local food or produce that is unique to that region.  Popular sagre (the plural of Sagra) around Italy include: mushrooms, wild boar, gnocchi, prosciutto, gelato and even the Festival of the Sea. For me, however, the sagra I most wanted to go to was the Sagra della Fragole, the strawberry festival in the small mountain town of Nemi.

What Is So Special About Nemi Strawberries?

Nemi, Italy is famous for its strawberries. THis version is unique because they are much smaller and sweeter than the common commercially grown varieties. Nemi’s strawberries are grown on the sides of the volcanic crater, which is now a lake, which creates a microclimate that retains the warmth of the sun and provides a wind shield.

These tiny strawberries are delicious, and even ones that aren’t red should be added to whatever you are eating (or drinking). Nemi strawberries are traditionally used in classic Italian desserts such as tarts, cakes, and jams, like the more traditional commercial varieties. However, their versatility extends beyond that. Nemi strawberries can also be used in: Cocktails, which are all over the festival, savory dishes and frozen desserts.

A Recipe For The Nemi Strawberries

Where Is The Festival?

How Do You Get To The Festival?

While much of the area around Frascati is reachable by commuter rail, Nemi is not so easy. We chose to drive, and it was the right decision. This is a tiny town that limits the access during this festival, so your best bet is to drive to a nearby parking area and take the shuttle buses that are continuously running between the parking area and the center of Nemi.

The drive from Rome to Nemi on any other weekend should take an hour, but the festival caused an expected backup on the single road leading to town. The time from when we left our apartment, until the time I was surrounded by strawberries standing in Nemi was around 2.5 Hours. You’ll want to expect this type of backup during the festival weekend.

So, How Was The Nemi Strawberry Festival?

If this is how the Sagre are experienced across Italy, then I would highly recommend them, with one caveat. This tiny town was packed with people, so if you aren’t into crowds, you might consider arriving very early, very late or skipping it all together.

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