Balli, Canti, Musica e Briganti
Popular theatre, pizzica music, and the memory of brigandage in the heart of the Matese
About Musica e Briganti
A Matese village that tells the story of its brigands
Some towns choose to face their own history, even when it is uncomfortable. San Potito Sannitico, a small municipality in the Province of Caserta nestled on the slopes of the Matese mountains, in Campania, has decided to turn post-unification brigandage not into cheap folklore, but into a true civic narrative. From this choice comes "Balli, Canti, Musica e Briganti", the summer event that every July transforms the historic centre and Piazza della Vittoria into an open-air stage.
The event is promoted by the Municipality of San Potito Sannitico together with the Pro Loco Genius Loci and local associations, and has grown around the opening, in July 2024, of the Museum of Brigandage and Emigration. Since then, the appointment has become the moment when the town reclaims its own memory, with a formula that mixes theatre, live music, ethnographic exhibitions, and peasant cuisine.
The Museum of Brigandage and Emigration
The cultural heart of the initiative is the museum set up in the Torelle area, in the repurposed spaces of the old municipal cemetery. The exhibition, conceived by Professor Nicolino Lombardi, weaves together two fundamental chapters of the history of Southern Italy: on one hand, the brigandage following the Unification of Italy, with documents, photographs, and period objects that recount figures such as Michelina Di Cesare and Cosimo Giordano, active in the Matese in the 19th century; on the other, the emigration towards the Americas, evidenced by furniture, suitcases, and family portraits. During the event, the museum remains open with extraordinary hours and free admission: it is the easiest opportunity to visit, as access is by appointment for the rest of the year.
Popular theatre in Piazza della Vittoria
The evenings take place in Piazza della Vittoria, which becomes a natural auditorium for theatrical performances entrusted to local companies and schools. These are not simple costume re-enactments: the shows bring to the stage the voices of peasants, women, and draft dodgers who, between 1861 and 1870, found themselves caught between the new State and the armed bands of the Matese. The register alternates between narration, folk singing, and street theatre, with incursions into the alleys of the historic centre in the form of walks and theatrical urban trekking.
The "Brigand's Meal"
Every evening, the gastronomic aspect revolves around the "Brigand's Meal", a tasting inspired by the "cucina povera" (peasant cooking) of the Matese mountains: bread, legumes, cheeses, cured meats, and the products that families carried with them into high-altitude shelters. It is a gastronomic interpretation of the historical theme rather than a classic food festival, and it also serves to promote local products, from Matese truffles to cheeses from the Alto Casertano area.
Vintage agricultural machinery and threshing exhibition
Since 2026, the event has been enriched by a permanent exhibition of vintage agricultural machinery, presented alongside an ethnographic exhibition dedicated to threshing, curated with the collaboration of the Matese Truffle Hunters Association. Restored tractors, threshers, and tools tell the story of field work before modern mechanization and complete the village's identity narrative: brigandage, emigration, and peasant civilization as three sides of the same story.
Pizzica, dances, and live music
The closing is entrusted to music. The evenings conclude with pizzica and traditional dances, where the public is invited to join in the square, and with live concerts ranging from the popular Matese repertoire to pop music. It is the most participatory moment of the event, where historical memory dissolves into a village festival.
Why it's worth the trip
- A rare historical theme, treated with seriousness and without rhetoric.
- An original civic museum, visitable for free during the event.
- The setting of the Matese Regional Park, a few kilometres from Piedimonte Matese and Lake Matese.
- An authentic village atmosphere, far from mass tourism circuits.
Musica e Briganti — edition 2026
Two days between peasant memory and theatre
The weekend of 18 and 19 July 2026 marked a turning point for the San Potito Sannitico event: alongside the story of post-unification brigandage, the peasant civilization of the Matese took the stage, with the opening of a permanent exhibition of vintage agricultural machinery and an ethnographic exhibition dedicated to threshing.
Saturday began in the morning with the presentation of the project at the headquarters of the Matese Regional Park and the ribbon-cutting of the exhibition, accompanied by a coffee break hosted by the Matese Truffle Hunters Association. In the evening, Piazza della Vittoria hosted the theatrical performance by the "Ettore" company, followed by the "Brigand's Meal" tasting and the 80s rock concert by Gianni Matteo's group.
On Sunday, the programme focused entirely on the square and the village alleys, with the itinerant show "Voci di polvere – Storie di Briganti e Resistenza" (Dust Voices – Stories of Brigands and Resistance) created by the "Margine Comunicante" theatre school under the artistic direction of Claudia Orsini and Angelo Rotunno. After the second appointment with the "Brigand's Meal", the evening closed with pizzica and traditional dances.
Throughout the weekend, the Museum of Brigandage and Emigration, in the Torelle area, remained open with extraordinary hours along with the new exhibition of agricultural machinery.
Programme Musica e Briganti 2026
Saturday 18 July 2026
- 09:30 – Matese Regional Park Headquarters: presentation of the project and the initiative
- 11:00 – Inauguration of the permanent exhibition of vintage agricultural machinery
- Following – Coffee break by the Matese Truffle Hunters Association and opening of the ethnographic exhibition on threshing
- 20:30 – Piazza della Vittoria: theatrical performance by the «Ettore» company
- Following – «Brigand's Meal» tasting
- Closing – 80s rock concert with Gianni Matteo's group
Sunday 19 July 2026
- 20:00 – Piazza della Vittoria and historic centre: «Voci di polvere – Storie di Briganti e Resistenza», theatrical urban trekking by the «Margine Comunicante» school, artistic direction by Claudia Orsini and Angelo Rotunno
- Following – Second appointment with the «Brigand's Meal» tasting
- Grand finale – Evening of pizzica and traditional dances
Throughout the weekend
- Museum of Brigandage and Emigration (Torelle area) open with extraordinary hours
- Permanent exhibition of vintage agricultural machinery visitable
- Ethnographic exhibition on threshing
Highlights Musica e Briganti 2026
- Inauguration of the permanent exhibition of vintage agricultural machinery
- Ethnographic exhibition on threshing curated with the Matese Truffle Hunters Association
- Theatrical performance by the «Ettore» company in Piazza della Vittoria
- «Voci di polvere – Storie di Briganti e Resistenza», theatrical urban trekking in the village alleys
- «Brigand's Meal» tastings
- 80s rock concert and final evening of pizzica
- Extraordinary opening of the Museum of Brigandage and Emigration
Prices Musica e Briganti 2026
Practical information — Musica e Briganti
How to get there
San Potito Sannitico is located in the Alto Casertano area, at the foot of the Matese mountains. By car: from the A1 motorway, exit at Caianello or Capua, then take the SS372 "Telesina" and SS158 towards Piedimonte Matese; the village is about 3 km from the centre of Piedimonte. By train: Piedimonte Matese station (Alifana line), then bus or taxi. By plane: Naples-Capodichino airport, about 70 km away.
Where it takes place
The evening performances are held in Piazza della Vittoria, in the centre of the village. The Museum of Brigandage and Emigration is located in the Torelle area, as is the exhibition of vintage agricultural machinery.
Admission and bookings
Performances in the square and visits to the museum during the event are free of charge. For the "Brigand's Meal" tasting, it is advisable to inquire in advance with the Pro Loco Genius Loci or the Municipality. Outside of festival days, the museum can be visited by appointment (tel. 0823 911526).
Tips
- Wear comfortable shoes: part of the performances takes place in the alleys of the historic centre.
- Mountain evenings can be cool even in July: a light sweatshirt is useful.
- For overnight stays, it is best to rely on Piedimonte Matese or the farmhouses of the Matese Regional Park.
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Where does it take place — Musica e Briganti
Piazza della Vittoria e Museo del Brigantaggio e dell'Emigrazione (località Torelle)
Piazza della Vittoria, 81016 San Potito Sannitico