Events

Sagra degli Gnocchi: The Festival of the Gnocchi of Grotti, now in its 17th year, has proved to be one of the most popular culinary events in our region. The ancient recipe remains unchanged over the centuries and is still used by the Grottigiani housewives today. It is a complementary combination of a “poor” food, the potato, worked into light dumplings and served with traditional sauces. The entire village joins in to organise the Sagra degli Gnocchi, from the baking of the potatoes to the preparation of the sauce. The Grottigiani spend a whole week preparing for this event and anticipating its success.
The 17th of January is the Feast Day of St. Antonio Abbot. There is a small church dedicated to St. Antonio where there is a more recent statue of the saint. The original statue is found in the main church. The newer statue is carried through the streets of Grotti in a religious procession and displayed in the parish church on the Monday before the Feast Day. For a week the traditional Rosary is held in St. Antonio Abbot's honour accompanied by a traditional song from Grotti. After mass, there is the procession that ends by placing the statue back where it belongs. This is an important Feast Day because the members of both the “fratellanza” organisation and the committee of festivities are re-elected.
The 1st Sunday of September, Grotti celebrates the Feast Day of St. Vittorino with ‘triduo’ (three masses) and religious processions in the village streets. About 20 years ago, the date of this Feast Day was changed for working reasons. The villagers divided into two factions; those who wanted the Feast Day celebrated on the 5th of September and those who preferred it to be celebrated on the first Sunday of September. After a week of arguments and accusations, the latter group won.
The 2nd Sunday of September, Grotti celebrates the Feast Day of the Madonna of the Balzi. Balzi means “to leap”, and it was the name given by the inhabitants tied to the legend of the cult. The people of Grotti leave early in the morning, on the Feast Day, following a narrow mountain pathway that passes through the ruins of the ancient village leading to a small sanctuary situated in a cave where the statue of the Madonna of the Balzi is exposed. The sanctuary is found in a forest that was considered sacred at the time of the Romans, for the presence of an Oracle. After the traditional rituals, the people came back to Grotti following the same path and afterwards a religious procession takes place in Grotti.
The 1st Sunday of October, Grotti celebrates the Feast Day of the Madonna of the Rosary. It is this Feast Day which brings to an end the annual cycle. The small church of Madonna della Rocia is located near the cemetery.

Traditions
Perhaps the more ancient and beautiful tradition is the Pasquarella. On New Year's Day and on the Epiphany, two small groups of single men gather and sing under every house in the village. The song for New Year's Day describes Purgatory and the suffering of those trapped in Purgatory, while the song for the Epiphany, describes the birth of Jesus and the visit of the Magi Kings. Every family in the village offers a selection of traditional liqueur and wine to the choral group.

Other traditions involve a unique display of fireworks and in particular the dance of the Pantasima.