From a lake fish carpaccio to a cherry crumble, a small medieval village in Central Italy is doing something very unexpected with its most famous fruit
If you think cherries belong in desserts and nowhere else, Celleno is about to change your mind.
Nestled in the green hills of Lazio, just 90 minutes from Rome, this tiny medieval village hosts one of Central Italy’s most quietly remarkable food festivals: the Cherry Festival, now in its 39th edition, running June 5 to 7.
And this year, Restaurant San Rocco — perched with views over the village castle and ancient borgo — is pushing the cherry further than ever. The menu opens not with something sweet, but with a Lake Bolsena whitefish carpaccio, the fish marinated with cherries, sugar and salt, blast-chilled for 48 hours, then served on mixed greens with balsamic vinegar and a goat’s cheese and fresh cherry mousse.
“The whitefish and the cherry belong to the same territory and the same season,” says Andrea Sterpino, the restaurant’s young owner. “Seeing them together on the plate, for us, is already a story.”
The story continues with a Carnaroli risotto with cherry chutney, a slow-cooked pork neck finished in a cast-iron pan — also served with cherry chutney — and closes with a choice of classic cherry tart or a crumble with pastry cream, cherry coulis and cinnamon.
The Celleno cherry is a local variety, hand-picked every June from the tufa hills of northern Lazio — and it has clearly found its moment. “Several customers come back every year specifically for this menu,” Sterpino adds. “Seeing cherries in a fish carpaccio surprises them — but winning them over is easy.”
A long weekend in the Italian countryside, a medieval castle view, and a four-course cherry menu. There are worse ways to spend early June.
