Ancient Flavors – From the Wild West to Irpinia

A Western village in the heart of Alta Irpinia

There is a moment in the summer when Torella dei Lombardi, a small town in the province of Avellino overlooking the hills of Alta Irpinia, stops being just a village in inland Campania and becomes an open-air film set. For three days, the streets of the historic center fill with wooden signs, makeshift saloons, banks to rob, jails, caravans, and horses: it is Ancient Flavors – From the Wild West to Irpinia, the event that combines the tradition of a village festival with the imagery of Western cinema.

The event is organized by the Pro Loco Candriano with the patronage of the Municipality of Torella dei Lombardi and the artistic direction of Roberto D'Agnese for Omast Eventi. This is not a fleeting novelty: as early as 2019, the festival had already reached its twenty-fifth edition, a sign of a continuity that has accompanied the cultural life of the village for decades.

Following in the footsteps of Sergio Leone

The Western theme is no random disguise. Torella dei Lombardi is, in fact, the ancestral home of the family of Sergio Leone, the director who rewrote the rules of the genre with his Dollars Trilogy and Once Upon a Time in the West. The event turns this connection into a true tribute: open-air screenings, meetings with witnesses and key figures of Leone's cinema, short films made by local students together with the Sergio Leone Association, book presentations, and in-depth looks at the artistic partnership between the director and Ennio Morricone.

Among the most anticipated guests of recent editions was Enzo Santaniello, the "little McBain" from Once Upon a Time in the West, invited to share his memories of the set and the master's legacy with the audience gathered in the village.

Music: country, blues, and folk in the alleys

The festival's soundtrack follows the same imaginary geography. On the stages set up in the squares, country, blues, and folk bands take turns, with evening concerts and traveling shows that lead visitors from one corner of the town to another. Over the years, beloved names from the Campania and Southern Italian scene have passed through here, from Eugenio Bennato to the Blue Stuff, alongside bands specializing in overseas repertoires.

Musical performances are accompanied by traveling Western re-enactments curated by specialized companies, quick-draw duels, parades by local folk groups, and entertainment dedicated to children, making the event suitable for families as well.

The flavors of Irpinia

The name of the festival reminds us that, even before the spectacle, there is the table. The food stalls set up along the route offer dishes from Irpinian peasant cuisine and typical products of Alta Irpinia: an area known for its great appellation wines, mountain cheeses, cured meats, and a tradition of rustic cooking made of fresh pasta, legumes, and vegetables. Tastings accompany every evening and continue into the daytime hours on the final day.

The village and the territory

Torella dei Lombardi preserves a compact historic center, dominated by the Candriano-Ruspoli Castle, which in past editions has hosted the festival's inauguration and tastings in the courtyard. The town is located in the inland area of Campania that was severely hit by the 1980 earthquake and is now committed to a path of regeneration: it is no coincidence that the program also reserves space for conferences on urban regeneration and the enhancement of villages, promoted together with the professional orders of the province of Avellino.

Why go

• A complete Western setting, with the entire village scenographed rather than just a simple thematic stage.
• A program that weaves together cinema, music, and memory, with guests directly linked to the universe of Sergio Leone.
• Free concerts in the squares featuring country, blues, and folk repertoires.
• Food stalls with typical Irpinian products, from wines to cheeses.
• An opportunity to discover Alta Irpinia, one of the least touristy and most authentic areas of Campania.