The history of the Strawberry Festival of Nemi 

According to local legend, the wild strawberries that are the festival’s heart were born from Venus’s tears for Adonis’s death, transforming into red hearts. Strawberries are also said to repel all pests, including snakes. Every year, as if reminding these legends, Nemi sends messages of love, unity, and power to the world.

The event has been repeated every first Sunday in June since 1922; the protagonists are Nemi’s strawberries and wild strawberries, small red fruits that are a source of pride for Castelli Romani. Nemi is filled with flowers and strawberries for a Sunday and full of historical re-enactments, folk dances, and tastes.

Strawberries and wild strawberries from Nemi have been known since ancient Rome, when they were eaten on the Ides of June, during the celebrations in honor of Adonis. The pagan tradition then continued into the Christian era and, for this reason, celebrations such as the “Triumph of Strawberries” were very popular in Rome. In fact, they were traditionally held on June 13th in Campo de’ Fiori, also celebrating the Catholic feast of Saint Anthony. The best strawberries in the Roman area were undoubtedly those from Nemi, as witnessed several times over the centuries. They were considered a typical national product already in a list drawn up in 1877. The community of Castelli therefore decided to celebrate its typical product with a festival that has been held since 1922. The symbol of this festival is the figure of the “fragolare”, or women who offered strawberries to passers-by on baskets and hampers.