The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs – Association Mondiale de la Gastronomie, Bailliage Regional Toscana Francigena, presents in Anagni, historic “City of the Popes” in the heart of Ciociaria, the event “Gloria et Convivium – The Holy Year of Boniface VIII,” scheduled for Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7, 2025: two days in which spirituality, history, sacred music and haute gastronomy are intertwined to pay homage to the pontiff who instituted the first Jubilee in 1300 and to the city that still preserves its most authentic legacy.
In the sign of the symbolic bond between Benedetto Caetani, later Pope Boniface VIII, and the Holy King Louis IX of France – canonized by Boniface himself in 1297 and at the origin of the tradition that will give birth to the Confraternity of the Rôtisseurs – the Chaîne proposes a cultural and experiential itinerary that unites the memory of the first Holy Year with great contemporary European cuisine. Acting as a common thread is the emblem of the Goose, symbol of the Anagnine palace of the pontiff and of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs itself, which becomes a metaphor for elegance, abundance and continuity between the medieval papal court and today’s conviviality of excellence.
On Dec. 6, the program opens in the Cathedral of Anagni with the Sacred Music Concert “Gloria et Convivium – The Holy Year of Boniface VIII,” performed by the Polyphonic Choir “City of Anagni” directed by Maestro Luigi Ginesti, with pieces ranging from Marian chants to Palestrina’s masterpieces to original compositions dedicated to the figure of the pontiff. The concert, conceived by the Bailliage Toscana Francigena and offered free of charge to the public thanks to the patronage of the City of Anagni and the Cathedral Parish, directed by Don Marcello Coretti, aims to be a moment of recollection and shared beauty open to the city.
Next, in the Sala della Ragione of the Municipal Palace, the conference “Boniface VIII and Anagni, City of Popes” reconstructs the historical, political and religious context of the pontificate, the role of Anagni as papal seat and the medieval urban conformation of the city, with speeches by historian Prof. Lorenzo Proscio, urban planner Arch. Carlo Vompi and Prof. Giuseppe Nocca, historian of the medieval table. The display of medieval Contrade banners, curated by the Associazione Interparrocchiale Anagni Medievale, restores the atmosphere of a capital of spiritual and temporal power on the route of the Via Francigena.
The convivial heart of the event is the Grand Banquet at the Court of Boniface VIII, also in the Hall of Reason, with an eight-course menu philologically inspired by the main sources of medieval European cuisine, from the “Liber de Coquina” to the manuscripts of the time. Conceived by the Councillors de la Chaîne together with chef Valter Fargnoli and the brigade of the catering company “I Girasoli Eventi e Ricevimenti,” already the protagonists of the G7 summit in Anagni, the banquet offers creations that enhance the products and knowledge of the territory – such as Daniele Violoni’s black truffles, the wines of Azienda Agricola Coletti Conti and the Hypoclas liqueur of Azienda Sarandrea – transforming the table into a tale of history, symbols and flavors.
Sunday, Dec. 7, is dedicated to discovering the places of Boniface VIII with private guided tours of the Cathedral and Museum of Anagni, including the Crypt of San Magno with its extraordinary cycle of frescoes, and the Pontiff’s Palace, the scene of crucial episodes such as the “Slap of Anagni” and custodian of valuable frescoed rooms, from the Hall of the Geese to the Hall of the Chessmen. The tour ends with a “Repas Amical Anagnino” in a trattoria, designed as a more informal convivial moment but still in the sign of the identity of the Chaîne.
The conception and curation of the event project “Gloria et Convivium – The Holy Year of Boniface VIII” is by the Bailliage Toscana Francigena, with Bailli Giovanna Elettra Livreri, Vice Charge des Missions Manuela Fraioli and Gastronomic Advisor Silvia Biagioni.
The Dec. 6 concert in the Cathedral is open to all citizens free of charge, while the Grand Banquet and activities on Dec. 7 constitute a private, closed-numbered event, with named and pre-assigned seating, elegant dress code and Chaîne insignia for members. There is a participation fee, and part of the proceeds, net of expenses, will be donated to ACCR – Association Caritative de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, which is committed to supporting social projects especially for children in need.
Viva la Chaine!
