Befana Festival

A festival that concludes Christmas at the foot of Vesuvius

The Befana Festival in Somma Vesuviana, a municipality in the metropolitan city of Naples in Campania, is the event that marks the end of the Christmas festivities. In the first days of January, the town fills with children, families, and grandparents accompanying the little ones to wait for the old lady with the broom, the star of one of the most beloved popular traditions in the Italian calendar.

It is not a single event concentrated in one square, but a series of widespread initiatives: entertainment stations along the streets of the centre, performance moments in the city's iconic landmarks, and the distribution of stockings to children. It is a free, popular, and informal festival, where the rhythm is set by the children rather than a rigid schedule.

The Pro Loco Befana, through the town streets

One of the hubs of the festival is managed by the Pro Loco Vesuvia, which in the 2025 edition set up a space dedicated to the little ones on Via Aldo Moro for four consecutive days, from January 2nd to 5th. Sweets, chocolates, candies, bouncy castles, games, and entertainment filled the afternoons until evening, with a final day of continuous activities. It is the type of initiative that brings together local volunteering, area merchants, and neighbourhood families.

The Befana at the Castello di Lucrezia D'Alagno

The most picturesque moment is on January 6th, the day of the Epiphany, when the festival moves to the Castello di Lucrezia D'Alagno, a 15th-century building commissioned by King Alfonso of Aragon between 1456 and 1458, also linked in popular memory to the De Curtis family, that of the actor Totò. In the 2025 edition, the castle opened its rooms to children with a Santa's house set up inside, jugglers, stilt walkers, bubble shows, and games, while the Befana stockings were distributed for free thanks to the contribution of local supermarkets.

Bad weather on that January 6th forced the administration to move the appointment to the Council Chamber of Piazza Vittorio Emanuele III, from 10 am to 1 pm, without cancelling anything: a detail that well describes the practical spirit of this village festival.

The context: Casamale, Vesuvius, and tradition

Somma Vesuviana guards one of the most interesting historic centres in the Vesuvius area within the fortified village of Casamale, with its Aragonese walls and alleys opening towards the cone of Vesuvius. During the Christmas period, the village is enhanced with artistic installations, lights, and murals, and the Befana Festival is its natural conclusion. For those visiting Campania in winter, it is an opportunity to see a Vesuvian town in its daily dimension, far from the more crowded tourist circuits.

Why the Befana is so important in Italy

In Italian tradition, the Befana arrives on the night between January 5th and 6th and fills the stockings hung by children with sweets, leaving coal for those who have not been good. In Campania, the occasion officially closes the holiday cycle, summarized by the proverb that the Epiphany takes all the holidays away. Municipal administrations and local associations, as here in Somma Vesuviana, have turned it over the years into a moment of sociality dedicated above all to families.

Who it is dedicated to

• Preschool and school-age children, the primary recipients of the stockings and entertainment
• Families and groups of friends looking for a free outing during the holidays
• Visitors interested in the historical heritage of Casamale and the Castello di Lucrezia D'Alagno
• Those who want to learn about the popular traditions of the Vesuvius area