Cavatiello and Stockfish Festival

A tradition spanning nearly thirty years

The Cavatiello and Stockfish Festival is the most anticipated gastronomic event of the summer in Torello, a small hillside hamlet in the municipality of Castel San Giorgio, in the province of Salerno, Campania. In 2024, the event celebrated its twenty-ninth edition: a milestone that speaks volumes about how deeply rooted this festival is in the life of a village with just over five hundred residents. The heart of the festival is the Arena Santa Barbara, an open-air space next to the parish church, located at the highest point of the village overlooking the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese valley.

Cavatiello, fresh handmade pasta

The undisputed star is the cavatiello, a fresh pasta shape worked by hand, whose hollow center is perfect for capturing the thick, rich sauces of local peasant cuisine. At the festival, it is served in several versions to satisfy every palate:

• with tomato sauce, the simplest and most traditional version;
• with ragù, slow-cooked according to home-style traditions;
• with stockfish, the signature pairing that gives the festival its name;
• in vegetarian variations, available every evening on the menu.

Stockfish and other traditional dishes

Alongside the cavatielli, the stockfish is prepared following recipes passed down through generations—a dish tied to village feasts and the humble, traditional cuisine of the Vesuvius and Agro areas. The stalls also offer other local specialties, such as goat chops and desserts prepared by the local housewives of Torello, who share their family recipe books every year.

Folk music, tammurriate, and evenings in the arena

The festival is more than just food: every evening, the arena hosts concerts and dances. In the 2024 edition, for instance, the lineup featured I Giovani della Tammorra di Bagni with traditional Campanian music, the band BaRàZè with a tribute to Claudio Baglioni, Massimo Ranieri, and Renato Zero, Le Voci del Sud with their folk repertoire, and the Skizzekea Band for the closing night, featuring Italian and Neapolitan classics. It is a successful model repeated year after year: tammurriate, folk groups, and local cover bands, with performances starting late in the evening.

Who organizes the festival

Behind the festival is the Santa Barbara Association, founded in Torello on September 11, 1994, and currently chaired by Regina Zambrano. It works in close collaboration with the Santa Barbara parish and the hamlet's residents. The association enlivens the village calendar throughout the year with the Via Crucis, the autumn festival 'Sapori d'Autunno', and the Feast of Saint Barbara in December. Proceeds from the festival support the association's activities and community projects.

A family-friendly festival

The food stalls open in the early evening, offering complete menus, single portions, vegetarian options, and dishes designed for children; there is also a play area for kids. During the festival, free parking spaces are provided—a crucial detail, as Torello is reached via narrow hillside roads.

Discovering Torello and Castel San Giorgio

Visitors to the festival can take the opportunity to explore the village: the Church of Saint Barbara, with parish records dating back to the 16th century, and the nearby Church of the Savior, which has been featured in guided tours during some editions. The name Torello appears in a 1042 notarial document preserved in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, while on Monte Castello, above the municipal seat, lie the ruins of the Castle of San Giorgio, which gave the town its name. We are just a few kilometers from Nocera Inferiore, Sarno, and Cava de' Tirreni, in a part of Campania where summer festivals define the local calendar.

The 2026 edition

The dates for the next edition have not yet been released by the organizers. Historically, the festival takes place in the second half of August and spans four consecutive evenings: it is best to follow the Santa Barbara Association's channels, as they publish the poster and musical program a few weeks before the event.