«Aniello Califano» Artistic-Literary Prize
The poetry competition that Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino dedicates to the author of «'O surdato 'nnammurato»
About Aniello Califano Prize
The town of the «surdato 'nnammurato»
Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino, a town in the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese area in the province of Salerno, preserves one of the most beloved memories of Neapolitan song: it was here that Aniello Califano, a poet and lyricist born in Sorrento in 1870, spent his final years and died on February 20, 1919. He was the author of iconic songs that have entered the collective imagination, such as «'O surdato 'nnammurato», «Tiempe belle», and «'O mare 'e Margellina». From this legacy, the «Aniello Califano» Artistic-Literary Prize was born, a poetry competition designed not for professionals, but for local middle school students.
A competition for third-year middle schoolers
The rules are straightforward and leave no room for ambiguity. The prize is open to students in the third year of middle school (scuola secondaria di primo grado) in the participating municipalities: each contestant may submit only one entry, and participation is completely free. Texts must be original and can be written in Italian or in dialect; in the latter case, a side-by-side translation is required so the jury can evaluate them without misunderstanding.
- Three themes to choose from: Love, Youth, and Roots.
- Maximum 3 stanzas of 24 lines, mandatory title, free meter: rhymed, blank, or free verse, at the author's discretion.
- Those who wish may accompany the poem with a black-and-white drawing, which will be printed next to the text in the Poetry Collection.
- Submission of entries via email, in Word or PDF format, to the organizing association's address.
Before writing, in agreement with the school administration, students are offered an in-depth seminar on the life and works of Califano: a way to ensure students are not left staring at a blank page and to truly introduce them to the author for whom the prize is named.
How the poems are evaluated
The selection takes place in two phases. An internal committee from the association performs an initial screening; the entries that pass move on to the actual jury, composed of five to seven members chosen for their alignment with the project's cultural goals. Each text receives a score from 0 to 10 based on three criteria: adherence to guidelines, relevance to the chosen theme, and originality. The twenty participants with the highest scores earn the right to take the stage.
The awards ceremony
This is the moment that gives meaning to the entire process. During the final evening, the twenty finalists perform their verses live before the public and the jury, which also awards a score for the performance: the best interpretation receives the «Interpretation Prize». All participants, including those who did not perform, receive a certificate; the top three finishers receive a plaque and a cash prize. For a long time, the editions were held at the San Lorenzo Neighborhood Center, the hamlet of Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino where the competition began.
Who is behind it
The prize is established and organized by the A.P.S. «L'Eco del Montalbino», chaired by Cav. Giuseppe Cerchia, an association dedicated to cultural promotion and the rediscovery of the territory, which saw in the figure of the poet «the fulcrum and the beginning of a path aimed at bringing the past closer to the present». The initiative is supported by the Municipality of Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino and the Aniello Califano Foundation, established in 2023 by the poet's descendants, while the historical school partner is the «E. De Filippo» Comprehensive Institute of Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino and Corbara.
A prize that reaches beyond the town's borders
Starting in 2023 as a local initiative, the competition has grown with each edition. In 2026, with the fourth edition, it opened for the first time to the «Torquato Tasso» Comprehensive Institute of Sorrento, the city where Califano was born: a bridge between the two municipalities that share the memory of the poet, between the agricultural hinterland of Campania and the coast. For those visiting the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese, it is an unusual opportunity to encounter the Neapolitan poetic tradition not in a museum, but in the voices of thirteen-year-olds.
Aniello Califano Prize — edition 2026
The fourth edition, between Sant'Egidio and Sorrento
The 2026 edition of the «Aniello Califano» Artistic-Literary Prize marked the most significant step in the short history of the competition: for the first time, the call from the A.P.S. «L'Eco del Montalbino» went beyond the borders of the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese and involved, in addition to the third-year students of the «E. De Filippo» Comprehensive Institute of Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino, those of the «Torquato Tasso» Comprehensive Institute of Sorrento. A twinning that makes perfect sense: Aniello Califano was born in Sorrento in 1870 and died in Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino on February 20, 1919.
Deadlines
The competition opened on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, and closed on Friday, February 20, 2026, a date chosen not by chance as it coincides with the anniversary of the poet's passing. The original entries, consisting of no more than three stanzas and twenty-four lines, in Italian or in dialect with a side-by-side translation, had to be sent by email to the association: late submissions were not admitted for evaluation.
The final evening
The final ceremony was held on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at the «Torquato Tasso» State Comprehensive Institute in Sorrento, under the patronage of the Aniello Califano Foundation. On stage, the finalists read and interpreted their poems before the jury and the public, in an evening that the organizers described as proof that «poetry, like song, does not ask you to be perfect: it only asks you to be true».
Programme Aniello Califano Prize 2026
2026 Call for Entries — 4th Edition
- Wednesday, January 21, 2026 — Opening of the competition and distribution of regulations in participating schools.
- January-February 2026 — Preparatory seminar on the life and works of Aniello Califano, offered to students in agreement with the school administration.
- Friday, February 20, 2026 — Deadline for submission of entries, on the anniversary of the poet's death. Subsequent submissions are not considered.
- March-April 2026 — Initial selection by the association's committee, followed by evaluation by the jury with a score from 0 to 10 based on adherence to guidelines, relevance to the theme, and originality.
- Wednesday, May 6, 2026 — Awards ceremony at the «Torquato Tasso» State Comprehensive Institute in Sorrento: live performance by finalists, awarding of the «Interpretation Prize», distribution of certificates, and announcement of the top three finishers.
Edition themes: Love, Youth, Roots — at the participant's discretion.
Allowed format: original poem, with title, maximum 3 stanzas and 24 lines, in Italian or in dialect (with side-by-side translation), free meter; optional black-and-white drawing to be printed next to the text in the Poetry Collection.
Highlights Aniello Califano Prize 2026
- First opening to Sorrento: alongside the «E. De Filippo» IC of Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino, the «Torquato Tasso» IC of Sorrento, the poet's birthplace, participated for the first time.
- Symbolic deadline: submission by February 20, the day Califano died in Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino in 1919.
- Twenty finalists on stage: the top twenty scoring entries perform live, reciting their verses.
- Interpretation Prize: an award given to the best performance of the evening, distinct from the text ranking.
- Poems in Neapolitan: dialect is fully accepted, with a side-by-side translation, in continuity with Califano's language.
- Poetry Collection: the entries, winners or otherwise, may be included in a publication curated by the association, with drawings next to the texts.
Prices Aniello Califano Prize 2026
Practical information — Aniello Califano Prize
Location
Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino (SA), postal code 84010, province of Salerno, Campania region. The awards ceremonies are usually held at the San Lorenzo Neighborhood Center, in the hamlet of the same name; in 2026, the ceremony took place in Sorrento, at the «Torquato Tasso» Comprehensive Institute.
How to get there
By car: take the Angri Sud exit on the A3 Naples-Salerno motorway, then follow provincial roads toward Sant'Egidio del Monte Albino (a few kilometers). By train: Angri or Pagani stations on the Naples-Salerno line, connected to the town by local bus lines. By plane: Naples-Capodichino airport, approximately 40 km away.
Participation and costs
Participation in the competition is free and is reserved for students in the third year of middle school in the participating municipalities. Entries must be sent by email to [email protected], with the subject line «CONCORSO ANIELLO CALIFANO» and the student's details (name, surname, class, and school) in the body of the message.
Tips
The call for entries is usually released in January, and the deadline falls around February 20, the anniversary of the poet's death: it is advisable to follow the official channels of the association and the «E. De Filippo» Comprehensive Institute to find out the exact date of the awards ceremony, which is announced only after the selection is complete.
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Where does it take place — Aniello Califano Prize
Centro di quartiere di San Lorenzo