Fiera del Cacio al Fuso, the Pienza pecorino festival

What it is and what you see

The Fiera del Cacio is the festival of Pienza pecorino, the sheep's cheese that makes this Renaissance town in the Val d'Orcia famous. It lasts a week, in late August or early September, and has three stars: Piazza Pio II, which Pope Pius II inaugurated in 1462; the cheese, which is tasted and sold at stalls throughout the centre; and the cacio al fuso game. It began in the 1960s, when Dario Formichi, then president of the Pro Loco, made the game, which had been played on farms for centuries, the centrepiece of the fair. It is organised by the Pro Loco and the contrade, with the support of the Comune. In 2026 the 64th edition was held.

The game is simple to watch and hard to play. The six contrade of Pienza, Casello, Mura, Prato, Gozzante, Case Nuove and San Piero, roll a whole wheel of pecorino so that it runs and stops as close as possible to a wooden spindle, the fuso, set in the centre of the square. The winning contrada takes the palio, a cloth painted by an artist. In 2026 Le Mura won, with 76 points, after two tie-break rounds against Casello.

When

In 2026 the fair ran from 31 August to 6 September, with the big game on Sunday. The 2027 dates have not yet been announced: they are published by the Pro Loco and the Comune's tourist portal.

Programme and must-sees

Using the 2026 edition as a guide:

• Tuesday and Wednesday, at 17:30: rehearsals of the contrade and of Pienza's musicians and flag-bearers in Piazza Pio II.
• Thursday: at 18:00, Caci&Calici, a tasting of Pienza pecorino with Orcia wine in the square; at 21:30, selection and marking of the game's cheeses by the contrada captains and presentation of the palio.
• Friday: contrade dinner in the square at 20:00.
• Saturday: cheese tasting and sales stalls through the streets all day; at 15:30, children's procession and children's cacio al fuso game; at 21:00, serenade by Pienza's choir in the cloister of the Palazzo Piccolomini.
• Sunday: stalls all day; at 10:30, the Contesa delle Pecore, from Piazza Dante to Piazza Pio II; at 15:30, procession, musicians and flag-bearers, the Trescone dance and the cacio al fuso game, with the awarding of the palio; at 21:30, dancing in the square.

Throughout the 2026 week there was also a photo exhibition on the history of the festival in the loggias of the Palazzo Comunale.

Getting there and where to park

Pienza is in the Val d'Orcia, south of Siena. The practical way is to arrive by car: the villages of the valley are close, but with no convenient public transport between them. Neither the Pro Loco nor the tourist portal publishes traffic closures or special car parks for the fair: park outside the centre and walk up, and ask at the tourist office (0578 810 214, [email protected]) whether there are changes that weekend.

Tickets and price

The festival is free: the programmes list no admission for the events in the square. You pay for what you eat and buy, such as cheese from the stalls or the contrade dinner.

Practical tips

Sunday afternoon is the busiest time: arrive at Piazza Pio II with time to spare before 15:30 to see the game up close. If you prefer calm, on Saturday morning the stalls are already open and the square has room. With children, on Saturday at 15:30 the youngsters of the contrade play, and it is the best moment to understand the rules before Sunday.

Take advantage of the trip for the rest of the valley: Bagno Vignoni and its pools, the free hot springs of Bagni San Filippo or Sant'Antimo Abbey.