The Tree Wedding is one of Tuscia's most unusual traditions. Every 8 May, the community of Vetralla heads into the Monte Fogliano woods to renew a rite recalling the town's historic claim over the territory. The ceremony takes place near the Convento di Sant'Angelo: a Turkey oak and an English oak are decorated with flowers and symbolically joined in marriage before local authorities and residents.
Ownership of Monte Fogliano
The tradition recalls old disputes over control of the woods and the rights recognised for Vetralla's community back in the 15th century. The rite therefore carries symbolic, legal and identity-based meaning all at once: to this day, the mayor takes part in the ceremony that reaffirms the community's bond with the mountain.
The procession into the woods
The festival begins in the morning with the procession toward Monte Fogliano. Performers, riders, flag-throwers and participants reach the ritual site by crossing the landscape of the Monti Cimini: the journey helps turn the event into a genuine community day, not just a ceremony.
Nature and tradition
The Tree Wedding is especially interesting because its protagonist isn't a monument but the forest itself. It tells the story of a bond between community and territory that remains very strong in Tuscia.
