Arts and Literature Festival

A festival spread across the heart of the Valle Caudina

The «Dalla Parte dell'Arte» Arts and Literature Festival is the premier cultural event in Paolisi, a town in the Valle Caudina, in the province of Benevento, Campania. Rather than being concentrated into a single weekend, it is a series of events distributed throughout the year, bringing music, theatre, visual arts, and literature to the town's squares, public gardens, and historic palazzos. This format is perfectly suited to a small town: instead of one large stage, it utilizes many different locations, each with its own unique atmosphere.

The artistic direction of Rosanna Gaddi

The festival was born from the vision of Rosanna Gaddi, who serves as its artistic director, and has grown thanks to the collaboration with the Municipal Administration of Paolisi and local associations, including Sylvatica Aps and the Paolisi Youth Forum. It is a model of collaboration typical of small Italian towns: limited resources, strong networking, and a direct bond with the community, which participates, sets up, and cooks. As early as 2022, the festival accompanied the Valle Caudina's «Sentieri Aperti» (Open Paths) program with the title «I Sentieri delle Emozioni – Dalla Parte dell'Arte», featuring street art, music, and theatre in the municipal gardens.

Live music, theatre, and literature

The program changes every year, but certain themes remain consistent:

• Concerts featuring chamber music, opera, and Neapolitan songs, showcasing young local talent alongside internationally acclaimed performers;
• Social and family theatre, with performances addressing themes such as migration, peace, and solidarity;
• Visual arts and street art, with installations and displays in the town's open spaces;
• Literary encounters and book presentations, which give the festival its name;
• Convivial moments, with themed dinners and food stalls managed by local associations.

The festival venues

Events take place across the «Gino Strada» Gardens, a green space named after the founder of Emergency and the heart of summer evenings; Piazza Vittorio Veneto, the town's main square; and the 18th-century Palazzo Bifano, also known as Casa Averna. The latter is the historic residence of the Bifano family, which for about 150 years was the most prominent in the town: the courtyard with its Tuscan columns and neoclassical travertine staircases provides a natural backdrop for classical music concerts, and their rediscovery is one of the festival's added values.

The link with the Feast of Saint Andrew

The festival also has an autumn component: an event of the Arts and Literature Festival has been integrated into the civil program of the Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle, the patron saint of Paolisi celebrated on November 30th, in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, organized by the Youth Forum with the patronage of the Municipality. On this occasion, the town hosts Christmas markets, food stalls, surprises for children, and live music: culture and popular devotion coexist on the same calendar.

Free culture and civic engagement

A constant feature is that it is free of charge: events are open to the public and supported by public resources—the 2025 edition was co-financed by the 2021-2027 Development and Cohesion Fund, as part of the Cohesion Agreement of the Campania Region. Alongside the artistic programming, there is space for charitable fundraising and collaboration with humanitarian organizations like Emergency: the festival is not just entertainment, but also a small exercise in citizenship.

Paolisi and the Città Caudina towards 2028

The festival is part of a season of cultural ferment for the entire Valle Caudina, which has networked around the candidacy of the Città Caudina for Italian Capital of Culture 2028. For those visiting the Sannio region, «Dalla Parte dell'Arte» is an opportunity to discover a village off the beaten tourist path, featuring historic palazzos, religious traditions, and a still-vibrant peasant gastronomy, located a short distance from both Benevento and the Naples metropolitan area.