Bianco Tanagro - White Artichoke Festival
Two weekends of flavor, music, and tradition in Auletta, celebrating the White Artichoke of the Tanagro Valley
About Bianco Tanagro
A festival born around a signature vegetable
The Bianco Tanagro - White Artichoke Festival is the most anticipated event of the year in Auletta, a small town in the province of Salerno, Campania, nestled on the slopes overlooking the Tanagro River valley. At the heart of the festival is the White Artichoke of the Tanagro Valley, a local variety with a light-colored head and delicate flavor, grown for generations in the alluvial soils of the valley floor and having become the town's economic and cultural symbol over the years. Around this product, the Pro Loco Auletta has built a festival that combines agriculture, cuisine, entertainment, and regional promotion.
The historic center as a culinary trail
Throughout the event, the ancient village of Auletta becomes a large itinerary to explore on foot, through alleys, squares, and courtyards. The gastronomic tabernae open for lunch and dinner, offering dozens of white artichoke-based dishes prepared by local farms and village volunteers: from appetizers to fresh pasta, risottos to rustic pizzas, and even stuffed artichokes and desserts. Recent editions have also featured unique creations like artichoke pasta frittata, gelato, and even artichoke-flavored babà.
Festival sections
- Gastronomic tabernae: tasting stations spread throughout the historic center, with indoor seating available.
- Gusto Italia: a market for local products and handicrafts, featuring exhibitors from various Italian regions.
- Bianco Festival: the section dedicated to street performers, folk music groups, and roaming shows.
- Gesù Monumental Complex: the venue for show cooking, conferences, presentations, and award ceremonies.
- Workshops and games: activities for children, traditional games, creative workshops, and guided tours of the village churches.
Awards and recognition
The festival is more than just a food fair: every year it awards the Golden Artichoke, a prize given to a celebrity or cultural figure who presides over the official inauguration, and the Green Fork Award, which honors the best dish of the event through popular vote and the judgment of white artichoke ambassadors. Alongside these, the Aulettesi in the World award was created, dedicated to those who left the town and distinguished themselves abroad. There are also technical and scientific conferences on the network of Campanian artichokes and the Mediterranean diet, with the participation of researchers and producers.
A sustainability-conscious event
In recent years, the Pro Loco has focused decisively on more sustainable management of the event: biodegradable tableware at all stations, family-sized cardboard boxes for takeaway, reduction of food waste, short supply chains, and direct promotion of valley producers. The festival is preceded by the Bio Gastronomic Week, featuring menus dedicated to the white artichoke in participating local restaurants.
Auletta and the Vallo di Diano
Visiting Bianco Tanagro is also an opportunity to discover a lesser-known corner of inland Campania. Auletta is located at the gates of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park: from the village, you can reach the famous Pertosa-Auletta Angel Caves in a few minutes, one of the most visited speleological complexes in Southern Italy, while the old town preserves traces of the Marchesale Castle and the medieval fabric damaged by the 1980 earthquake and partially recovered today. Spring, when the artichokes reach maturity, is the ideal season to travel through the Tanagro valley among olive groves, vegetable gardens, and small towns.
A benchmark event in Campania
With over ten editions behind it, Bianco Tanagro has become one of the most recognizable food and wine events in the province of Salerno, capable of attracting thousands of visitors to a town of just over two thousand inhabitants. Admission is free and the atmosphere remains that of an authentic village festival, where the citizens themselves cook, welcome, and tell the story of their product.
Bianco Tanagro — edition 2026
Seven days of festivities in the historic center
The 2026 edition of Bianco Tanagro confirmed the two-weekend formula, bringing seven days of tastings, shows, and meetings dedicated to the White Artichoke of the Tanagro Valley to Auletta. The gastronomic tabernae served dozens of artichoke-based dishes for lunch and dinner, from fresh pasta to stuffed artichokes, and even curious offerings like artichoke pasta frittata, gelato, and babà.
Guests, awards, and conferences
The official inauguration, on Saturday, April 25 at 11:00 AM, saw the presentation of the 2026 Golden Artichoke to showgirl Matilde Brandi. Pizza chef Aniello Mele was named the new Ambassador of the White Artichoke, while on May 2, the Aulettesi in the World award was presented for the first time to Professor Vincent Alfred Morrone. On April 30, a conference on the Network of Campanian Artichokes was held with researcher Rosa Pepe from CREA in Pontecagnano. The show cooking sessions were hosted by food and wine journalist Antonella Petitti.
Sustainability and participation
The 14th edition focused on more sustainable management, with biodegradable tableware and family-sized cardboard boxes to limit waste. The Green Fork Award was confirmed, with visitors voting for the best dish, along with the Gusto Italia market and the Bianco Festival section featuring street performers and folk music. The event was preceded by the Bio Gastronomic Week, from April 12 to 22, with dedicated menus in participating restaurants.
Programme Bianco Tanagro 2026
First weekend
- Friday, April 24 — festival opening from 5:00 PM; gastronomic tabernae open for dinner only.
- Saturday, April 25, 11:00 AM — official inauguration of the 14th edition with showgirl Matilde Brandi and presentation of the 2026 Golden Artichoke; tabernae open for lunch and dinner.
- Sunday, April 26 — full day of tastings, Gusto Italia market, Bianco Festival street performers, children's workshops, and guided tours.
Second weekend
- Thursday, April 30 — evening opening of the tabernae; at 6:00 PM conference on the Network of Campanian Artichokes with Rosa Pepe (CREA of Pontecagnano).
- Friday, May 1 — tabernae open for lunch and dinner, show cooking, folk music, and traditional games in the historic center.
- Saturday, May 2, 6:00 PM — presentation of the new Aulettesi in the World award to Professor Vincent Alfred Morrone.
- Sunday, May 3 — closing day with tastings, awards, and shows.
Throughout the festival
- Gastronomic tabernae with dozens of white artichoke dishes, open for lunch and dinner (dinner only on April 24 and 30).
- Green Fork Award: visitor and ambassador voting for the best dish of the event.
- Show cooking hosted by journalist Antonella Petitti.
- Gusto Italia market with local products and crafts.
- Bianco Festival: street performers, folk groups, and roaming shows.
- Agricultural and creative workshops for children, traditional games, guided tours.
- Bio Gastronomic Week from April 12 to 22 in participating restaurants, as a festival preview.
Highlights Bianco Tanagro 2026
- 14th edition, seven days spread over two weekends.
- 2026 Golden Artichoke to Matilde Brandi, guest of the April 25 inauguration.
- First Aulettesi in the World award to Professor Vincent Alfred Morrone (May 2).
- Aniello Mele named new Ambassador of the White Artichoke.
- Green Fork Award with popular vote on the best dish.
- Sustainable edition: biodegradable tableware and cardboard takeaway boxes.
- Free admission, guarded parking, and camper parking area.
Prices Bianco Tanagro 2026
Practical information — Bianco Tanagro
How to get there
By car: take the Petina or Sicignano degli Alburni exit on the A2 del Mediterraneo motorway, then follow signs for Auletta. The town is also accessible via the SS19 along the Tanagro valley.
By train: Sicignano degli Alburni-Buccino station on the Battipaglia-Potenza line, then local bus connection.
By plane: Salerno-Costa d'Amalfi Airport and Naples-Capodichino Airport.
Parking
During the event, a guarded parking lot and a camper parking area are available. The historic center can only be visited on foot.
Admission and tastings
Admission to the festival is free. Tastings are paid for directly at the gastronomic tabernae, with dishes available for individual purchase; gluten-free options and cardboard takeaway boxes are also provided.
Contacts
Pro Loco Auletta — tel. +39 380 1863475 — [email protected] — www.biancotanagro.com
Tips
The village is hilly and paved: comfortable shoes are recommended. The evening hours are the liveliest thanks to music and street performers, while the morning is the best time for the market and guided tours.
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Where does it take place — Bianco Tanagro
Centro storico di Auletta