Events by Region

Festival Of Oil Mills And Castles

Locality: Campello Sul Clitunno (Perugia) Region: Umbria
from: 18 October 2026
from: 8 November 2026

Campello sul Clitunno (PG) Returns to the Spotlight with the "Festival of Oil Mills and Castles" Two Sundays, October 18 and November 8,2026,to taste the region's new olive oil, discover the secrets of production, and experience the matchless landscape of the olive-covered belt through tastings, trekking, music, culture, trail running, and the Corsa dei Frantoi (Oil Mills Race). The backdrop for the event will be Piazza de La Bianca and the Castle of Pissignano Alto, with its tall, slender main tower and its ancient medieval village built on sloping terraces. Sunday, October 18: La Bianca Celebrates the First Pressing On Sunday, October 18,2026,the venue for the "Festival of Oil Mills and Castles" will be Piazza de La Bianca—the heart of Campello sul Clitunno's municipal center and town hall—which will host the main activities of the day celebrating the first pressing and the arrival of the new olive oil. A free shuttle service will connect visitors to the open oil mills (Frantoi Aperti) of Campello sul Clitunno: Frantoio Marfuga, Frantoio Eredi Gradassi, and Frantoio Carletti. Throughout the day in Piazza de La Bianca, visitors can explore the Producers, Artists, and Artisans Market; the Countryside and Woodland Market, featuring stalls with tastings and sales of cheeses, baked goods, truffles, flours, honey, and vegetables; and the High-Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil Market Exhibition. The morning will feature outdoor activities and guided hiking itineraries: the Bike Ride Among the Olive Trees and Oil Mills, leading participants on a guided ride with tastings at local mills, and the Walking Tour and Concert, a loop route through the olive groves ending at the centuries-old Marfuga olive tree. Here, the first concert of the "Sounds from the Ancient Olives" series will feature Mosè Chiavoni on clarinet and Graziano Brufani on double bass. Two running events will also take place during the morning: the Corsa dei Frantoi, a competitive race of about 10 kilometers alongside a non-competitive run through local olive groves and mills, and the first Frantoi Aperti® Trail Run, an itinerant running event that will rotate annually among various Umbrian towns known for olive production. This thrilling trail run covers a 16 km loop in the heart of the Assisi-Spoleto Olive Belt, taking runners past terraced groves, dirt paths, and medieval villages. Tasting stops along the route will allow participants to sample fresh oil from the Marfuga, Carletti, and Eredi Gradassi mills. At the finish line, every runner will receive a complimentary bottle of freshly pressed extra virgin olive oil and join the tasting lunch in Campello sul Clitunno's main square. Food and wine experiences highlighting extra virgin olive oil and regional Umbrian products will abound: Truffle Experience: A forest walk to search for truffles organized by Tartufi Fortunati Stocchi srl, followed by a truffle and olive oil cooking workshop. Assaggi di Ivo Evo: Tastings at the Museum of Peasant Civilization. Guided Extra Virgin Olive Oil Tasting: Led by an expert taster inside the historic Palazzo Negri Arnoldi. Pane e Olio in Piazza & Le Olivastre: Bread and oil tasting in the square alongside Le Olivastre, a food truck specializing in olive oil cuisine. Cooking Workshop: Set in the ancient kitchen of Palazzo Negri Arnoldi, focusing on "I Dolci della Benfinita" (traditional harvest-end desserts) led by Sara Papazzoni and accompanied by stories told by Guido Farinelli. Cultural and architectural tours will also be available throughout the day, including guided visits to the Sanctuary of Madonna della Bianca and Villa Negri Arnoldi (ending with an olive oil tasting), as well as guided tours of the Temple of Clitumnus (Tempietto sul Clitunno), a UNESCO World Heritage site under "The Longobards in Italy. Places of the Power (568–774 A. D.)". Sunday, November 8: The Festival Moves to the Castle of Pissignano Alto The second day of the festival, November 8,shifts to the evocative setting of the Castle of Pissignano Alto, a medieval village perched on the hillsides of Campello sul Clitunno. Built on a hill slope with a triangular layout, it features a tall, slender main tower above a secondary pentagonal tower (formerly used as a church bell tower) and medieval hillside homes built on descending terraces. A free shuttle service will operate all day, connecting the village to the open oil mills (Frantoio Marfuga, Frantoio Eredi Gradassi, Frantoio Carletti). Along the village streets, visitors can sample and purchase new extra virgin olive oil, local food specialties, and crafts at the New Quality Oil Market and the Producers, Artists, and Artisans Market. The morning begins with a light breakfast hosted by the local Pro Loco association in the Castle Square, followed by two nature excursions through the olive groves: Trekking Among the Olive Trees: A hike reaching the Franciscan Hermitage of the "Larks" (Le Allodole). Theater & Nature Trekking (for families): A child-friendly walk combining nature and storytelling, taking families through woods and olive groves with fairy tales and legends about trees, olive trees, and olive oil. Also on Sunday morning, November 8,a conference organized by the University of Perugia entitled "Journey to Lizori" will take place, alongside numerous culinary events centered on extra virgin olive oil and traditional Umbrian food products. At various times throughout the day, visitors can also take part in "Coffee Time" (Il tempo di un caffè) inside select private homes within the Castle. The day will also feature musical performances, concerts, and other cultural and experiential activities, such as the "Let Me Tell You" (Ti racconto) initiative featuring shared work stories, as well as guided tours of the Castle of Pissignano Alto and the Temple of Clitumnus (Tempietto sul Clitunno), one of seven monumental groups in the UNESCO serial site "The Longobards in Italy. Places of the Power (568–774 A. D.)". Organization & Contact Info The Festival of Oil Mills and Castles is promoted by the Municipality of Campello sul Clitunno and organized by ADD Comunicazione ed Eventi, in collaboration with the Pro Loco of Campello and other local Pro Loco associations, the Antonio Meneghetti Scientific and Humanistic Research Foundation, the Lizori Civic Committee, and local community organizations. The event is part of the "Interweaving of Lands and Flavors" (Intrecci di Terre e Sapori) project by the Union of Municipalities of Terre dell'Olio e del Sagrantino, funded by GAL Valle Umbra e Sibillini - AS 2.1 under the CSR for Umbria 2023-2027 - Intervention SRG 06.For information and reservations: ADD Comunicazione, Press Office & Events www. Festadeifrantoi. It

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