Befana dei Record

The world's longest stocking

On January 6th, the day of the Epiphany, Pietramelara takes to the streets with what locals simply call "the stocking": a structure about one hundred meters long, supported by an iron frame and covered in fabric, which is pulled through the town streets to the historic center. Inside, it is packed with dozens of kilos of candies, chocolates, and sweets of all kinds, distributed to children throughout the afternoon. This is the heart of the Befana dei Record, the event that has made this town in the province of Caserta a small national celebrity for the Epiphany.

From the 2020 record to the hundred-meter challenge

The idea was born in 2020 on the initiative of the Pro Loco Pietramelara: that year, the stocking measured 86 meters and earned the title of the world's longest Befana stocking. Since then, the size has grown, and in January 2025, the structure reached 100 meters, with the length verified by a national certification body. The record is contested every year with other Italian towns—Viterbo, Urbania, Reggello—and this good-natured rivalry is now part of the festival's lore, which the people of Pietramelara experience with pride rather than a competitive spirit.

The parade of the Befanas

The route starts in the early afternoon from the area of the "Pasqualino Leonardo" municipal sports field, in the Piazza Mazzini area, and winds for about one and a half kilometers through the town to Piazza San Rocco. Accompanying the giant stocking are dozens of costumed Befanas who distribute sweets along the entire route, amidst music, masked groups, and families arriving from neighboring towns in the Alto Casertano.

• Parade departure in the early afternoon from the municipal sports field area
• Approximately 1.5 km of parade along the town streets
• Arrival and final celebration in Piazza San Rocco
• Free distribution of candies and sweets to children
• Free participation, no ticket or reservation required

A festival built by the town

What is most striking is not so much the size of the stocking as the way it is made. The structure is assembled by volunteers in the weeks leading up to the event in a warehouse on the outskirts of town, while local schools prepare the colorful fabric patches that cover it: each class sews its own piece, making the final result a true collective effort. Iron, fabrics, and sweets largely come from donations by citizens and merchants, and this popular, self-financed character is the true hallmark of the event.

Pietramelara and the Alto Casertano

Pietramelara is a town of just over four thousand inhabitants in the province of Caserta, in Campania, at the foot of Monte Maggiore and a short distance from Vairano Patenora, Riardo, and Teano. The village preserves a compact historic layout, with the Palazzo Ducale—destined to become a cultural hub—and the churches of the center. The Pro Loco enlivens the local calendar together with the municipal administration with other initiatives, from the medieval Christmas in the village to the summer festival, but the Epiphany remains the most defining event of the year.

Why it's worth the trip

The Befana dei Record is a simple festival, designed primarily for children, but capable of mobilizing an entire town. Visitors from outside will find a car-free center, a parade as long as few other Epiphany processions in Italy, and typically warm Casertan hospitality. It is also a great excuse to discover the Alto Casertano during the holidays, when many cultural sites in the province offer extraordinary openings and the Christmas season closes with one last day of joy.