A Castle of Books, Fairy Tales and Music

A festival that lasts an entire season

A Castle of Books, Fairy Tales and Music is a cultural festival promoted by the Pro Loco Zungoli APS and included in the 2026 official program of the Irpinian Pro Loco associations, published by the UNPLI Avellino Provincial Committee. It is not an event concentrated in a single weekend: the period indicated by the organizers runs from April 1st to September 30th, 2026, with events spread across spring and summer in the historic center of Zungoli, a town in the province of Avellino, in Campania.

The title summarizes the three souls of the event: books, with meetings and presentations; fairy tales, dedicated to children and the transmission of folk imagination; and music, which accompanies the village evenings. The specific dates for individual meetings have not yet been announced and are released progressively by the Pro Loco on their official channels.

Zungoli, a village carved into tuff

Zungoli has fewer than a thousand inhabitants and overlooks the upper Ufita Valley from a tuff hill, at the extreme eastern border of Irpinia, where Campania brushes against Puglia. The town is part of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy circuit, holds the Orange Flag from the Italian Touring Club, and gained national attention in the television competition Il Borgo dei Borghi, where it took third place. It is the ideal setting for a festival that does not need a grand stage: here, the scenery consists of stone alleys, the suspended arches of the "pontili" houses, and glimpses of the rolling hills.

The Susanna Castle and the Convent of San Francesco

The town's name is said to derive from the Norman "Junculo," who built the Castrum Caroli in a strategic position. The manor, whose origins date back to the mid-11th century, was purchased in 1825 by the Susanna family, Marquises of Sant'Eligio, who completed its transformation into a residential home: the facade, about thirty meters wide and fourteen meters high, still dominates the rooftops of the historic center today. Just below, the Convent of San Francesco, dating back to 1591, preserves Baroque works and a silent cloister overlooking the Irpinian hills.

Byzantine caves and the flavors of the village

Beneath the houses run hundreds of tunnels carved into the tuff between the 9th and 10th centuries, the so-called Byzantine caves, which have always been used as cellars and storage areas. It is there that the caciocavallo zungolese rests, aged for four to nine months in the rock. Those who arrive for an evening of readings or music will find it hard to leave without tasting:

• the caciocavallo zungolese aged in the tuff caves;
• the capocollo and the village's cured meats;
• extra virgin olive oil, made from the local Irpinian Ravece cultivar;
• traditional local bread, taralli, and biscuits.

Other Pro Loco events in 2026

The literary and musical festival coexists with a rather busy summer calendar, which is worth checking when planning a visit to Zungoli:

• Il Borgo Fiorito: a contest dedicated to streets and alleys decorated with plants and flowers, this year named after Dario Bavaro, its creator. It features over fifty entries, voting on the Pro Loco social pages, a technical jury for the top three, and cash prizes.
• Al Chiaro di Luppolo: the beer festival on August 2nd, 2026, from 9 PM in the historic center, featuring food and wine tastings, craft beers, music, and local products.
• Formaggi sotto le Stelle: August 10th, 2026, from 9 PM, a tasting tour dedicated to Irpinian cheeses on the night of San Lorenzo.
• Sagra della Chiccozza: August 24th, 2026, from 9 PM, featuring traditional dishes based on the local "chiccozza" pumpkin, accompanied by pizzica, tarantella, and tammurriata music.
• Borghi Forte, third edition: September 5th, 2026, from 5:30 PM, with artists and musicians, the award ceremony for the literary contest, and the promotion of local excellence.

Why it's worth the trip

Zungoli is not a village you just pass through; you choose to go there. For this reason, a festival spread over six months makes more sense than one concentrated into three days. Anyone passing through eastern Irpinia between April and September can find—without the crowds and without needing to book tickets months in advance—a book presentation in a small square, a fairy tale told to children in the shadow of the castle, or an evening of music among the stones of the historic center. Before leaving, however, it is advisable to check the updated calendar: individual dates are announced by the Pro Loco with short notice.