Cavatiello Cusitano Festival

Cavatiello, a handmade pasta

The Cavatiello Cusitano is the fresh pasta that gives the festival its name: a simple shape made of water and flour, which the women of Licusati work by hand one by one, hollowing it with their fingers to give it that distinctive shape that holds the sauce. It is a domestic gesture, repeated for generations, which has become a small collective heritage of the village over time: important enough to deserve a festival of its own, which has been going on for more than twenty-five years.

Licusati, a village in the Cilento hinterland

Licusati is a hamlet of the Municipality of Camerota, in the province of Salerno, Campania. The village sits at an altitude of about 262 meters, a few kilometers from the municipal seat, within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. An autonomous municipality until 1929, when it was merged with Camerota, Licusati has retained a very strong identity: the adjective "Cusitano," which appears in the name of the festival, indicates exactly what belongs to this village and its people.

Compared to the more crowded coast of Marina di Camerota, summer has a different rhythm here. Stone alleys, small squares, stairways, and courtyards that open up for the occasion: it is in this setting that the event takes shape, occupying the center of the village with tables, lights, and stalls.

The food stalls

The heart of the festival is the food stalls set up in the village, where dishes are prepared in accordance with local culinary tradition. Cavatielli remain the stars, of course, but the Cusitano cuisine has a wider repertoire, drawing from the peasant pantry of the inner Cilento:

• lagane and chickpeas, one of the iconic dishes of Cilento cuisine;
• homemade cured meats, starting with soppressata;
• extra virgin olive oil from the Pisciottana cultivar, typical of this stretch of Cilento;
• desserts and traditional family preserves.

As in all village festivals, the most interesting part is not just what ends up on the plate: it is the preparation work, which involves dozens of volunteers in the days leading up to it, and which can be sensed by observing the coming and going between the kitchen and the distribution counters.

Folk music and evenings in the square

The gastronomic side has always been accompanied by musical entertainment. Over the years, the festival has focused on folk music, the natural soundtrack for these August evenings: people eat at communal tables, chat, and then the square turns into a dance floor until late at night. It is a simple formula that works because it brings together residents, emigrants who have returned for the holidays, and passing visitors.

Who organizes the event

The Cavatiello Cusitano Festival is organized by ASD Licusati Calcio, the local sports club, with the patronage of the Municipality of Camerota. It is a model widespread throughout the Cilento: the local association that, thanks to the voluntary work of dozens of people, self-finances its activities and at the same time keeps the village's calendar of festivals alive. By participating in the festival, you are practically supporting the local football team.

A history spanning more than twenty-five years

The appointment is now a classic of the Cusitano summer: in 2018, the twenty-fifth edition was celebrated, scheduled from August 22 to 24, while in 2019 the festival was held from August 7 to 9. The dates shift from year to year within the month, but the location is always August, in the middle of the period when the village repopulates and families reunite.

Why it is worth the trip

The Cavatiello Cusitano Festival is not an event built for tourism: it is a village festival that tourists can attend. Those spending the summer on the coast of Camerota, Palinuro, or Marina di Camerota will find here, a few kilometers from the sea and a few hundred meters higher up, an opportunity to get to know the Cilento of the hills, that of typical products and peasant cuisine. The advice is to arrive early, take a seat at the tables, and do not be in a hurry: the evenings end late.