Borgo in Festa – Trasaella Friariello Festival

Trasaella, the village that comes alive in early July

Perched on the hills overlooking the gulf, the Trasaella district is one of the most authentic souls of the Municipality of Sant'Agnello, in the province of Naples, in the heart of the Sorrento Peninsula in Campania. For a few days in early July, this small cluster of houses, alleys, and squares turns into a natural stage: it is time for Borgo in Festa, the popular event that intertwines the historic Friariello Festival with the celebrations in honor of Our Lady of Grace, venerated in the village's 17th-century church.

The Friariello Festival, the absolute star

The friariello — or, more precisely, the puparuolo friariello — is a small, sweet pepper typical of Campanian cuisine, which is fried whole in oil and eaten hot and salted by holding it by the stem. In Trasaella, it is much more than an ingredient: it is the living memory of a peasant economy that has nourished these hills for generations. During the festival evenings, the iconic product becomes the famous friariello sandwich, prepared by the parish community alongside volunteers and local restaurateurs and served as a charity sandwich, alongside other local specialties. The event has a long history: as early as 2019, the Friariello Festival was celebrating its twenty-fourth edition.

Excellence in the Village: the rural world on display

In recent years, the festival has been enriched by the project «Excellence in the Village. The rural world on display», the third chapter of the «Sant'Agnello. Lights, colors, and music» series, sponsored by the Metropolitan City of Naples. The idea is simple and very effective: setting up house doorways with scenes of rural life, so that alleys and squares become living stages of the past. Visitors who climb up to Trasaella effectively take a small journey through time, among:

• skits and reconstructions of traditional rural trades and gestures;
• craft exhibitions and demonstrations of manual work;
• street artist performances;
• folk music, songs, and traditional dances;
• tastings of typical products from the Sorrento Peninsula.

The Feast of Our Lady of Grace and the Flight of the Angel

The secular part of the festival cannot be separated from the religious one: the festival was born around the celebrations for Our Lady of Grace. The highlight day features the solemn procession of the statue through the village streets, reaching the La Rocca area for the Eucharistic celebration before returning through the center, accompanied by the «City of Sorrento» Musical Band. The stop in the small square is the most anticipated moment: the traditional Flight of the Angel (or Descent of the Angel), an ancient rite in which the Angel descends from above holding candles, a symbol of light, and offers them to the Virgin Mary, receiving in exchange a bouquet of flowers that represents the people entrusted to her protection. It is a scene that moves residents and visitors every year and that the community guards with pride.

Borgo in Festa 2026

In 2026, the event was included in the municipal summer calendar «rEstate Sintonizzati 2026», promoted by Mayor Antonino Coppola and Councilor Marcello Aversa, who championed the choice of transforming «already evocative places into natural stages open to citizens and tourists» with free events. The two-day event in Trasaella took place on July 4 and 5, 2026, starting at 8:30 PM, featuring the classic charity friariello sandwich, other local specialties, and musical entertainment dedicated to tradition.

Why it is worth climbing to Trasaella

On a coast that thrives on large numbers and international tourism in the summer, Borgo in Festa remains a community celebration: no monumental stages, but long tables, the scent of fried food, folk songs, and a devotion passed down from family to family. For those staying in Sorrento, Sant'Agnello, Piano di Sorrento, or Meta, it is the best opportunity to discover the less touristy side of the Sorrento Peninsula, just minutes from the sea but already in another world, among terraces, citrus groves, and houses climbing up the hill.