Monte Casoli di Bomarzo Nature Reserve

Popular Traditions and Events

The noble history of Bomarzo has also left permanent traces on local culture and traditions. An historical theme pageant is held at the time of the Palio di Sant'Anselmo (24-25 April), an exciting horse race dating back to 1600. The race is held between districts of the town: Dentro, bearing yellow and black colours, Borgo, red and blue, Poggio, green and golden yellow, Croci, white and red and Madonna del Piano, pink and black.

The area also boasts a rich food tradition: not to be missed is the hand made pasta, grilled local meat, dressed with excellent oil and accompanied by generous draughts of the local wine, and to finish candies with nuts and honey. Special mention is reserved for Sant'Anselmo biscuits, left to rise twice and with a delicate flavour of aniseed.
Shaped like a doughnut, weighing about 1 kg, it was originally known as 'Pane di S. Anselmo' (Sant'Anselmo's bread) because, the story goes, it was a sweet bread which the town's Bishop, Sant'Anselmo, handed out to the poor folk and pilgrims wending their way to the Holy City of Rome, and it was also distributed to the poor, the needy and the orphans of the town. From that time on, this tradition has been kept alive, and still today - based on the same recipe handed down from mother to daughter - thousands of these biscuits are prepared.