Cheeses Under the Stars

Cheeses Under the Stars: The Night of San Lorenzo in Zungoli

There is only one day each summer when the entire historic center of Zungoli sets the table: August 10th, the night of San Lorenzo. This is the time for Cheeses Under the Stars, an evening that the Pro Loco Zungoli APS dedicates to local cheeses in Piazza Municipio, in the heart of this village of just under 900 inhabitants, perched at 657 meters above sea level in Upper Irpinia, in the Province of Avellino (Campania). This is not a mass-market festival, but an exclusive, limited-seating tasting experience, with tables set among stone houses under the August sky.

The Caciocavallo aged in tuff caves

Beneath the village lies a network of tuff caves, underground chambers carved during the Byzantine era between the 9th and 10th centuries and spread across three levels. Over time, they have served as shelters, cellars, granaries, and oil mills; today, they are primarily used for aging cheese. Constant temperatures and natural humidity make these walls the ideal environment for Podolico Caciocavallo, a semi-hard stretched-curd cheese made from the milk of Podolica cows that graze on the wild herbs of the Apennines. It is the product that has brought Zungoli's name to Italian restaurants in New York, and here it is tasted in its purest form: sliced on the spot, right in front of the producer.

The tasting, table by table

The event was born from the collaboration between the Pro Loco and the Cooperativa Agricola Molara, a Zungoli-based cooperative that has been collecting local milk and producing Podolico and Irpinian Caciocavallo since 1972. The experience typically includes:

• a cheese board with a guided presentation: cave-aged Irpinian Caciocavallo, Podolico Caciocavallo, pecorino, and goat cheese;
• traditional dishes based on typical Irpinian products, such as ancient grain pasta;
• fried Caciocavallo, a staple of previous editions;
• a selection of local wines, with Aglianico Irpino taking center stage.

In the 2024 edition, the evening was also supported by the ONAF (National Organization of Cheese Tasters), which guided the public in identifying aromas and aging profiles.

A village worth the trip

Zungoli is one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy and holds the Orange Flag from the Italian Touring Club; in 2026, it was among the villages competing for the title of 'Village of Villages'. The town can be explored on foot in a short time: the Norman castle, the former Franciscan convent, the stone alleys brightened by flower-filled balconies from the Il Borgo Fiorito contest, and, of course, the caves. Nearby, the ancient Pescasseroli-Candela sheep track reminds us that transhumant flocks once passed through here: the local dairy tradition is no recent invention.

Part of 'The Beautiful Summer in Zungoli'

Cheeses Under the Stars is one of the events in the The Beautiful Summer in Zungoli series, which in 2026 is titled Among flower-filled alleys and flavors under the stars and runs from August 2nd to September 5th. The same calendar includes the craft beer festival Al Chiaro di Luppolo (August 2nd), the Chiccozza Festival (August 24th), and the third edition of Borghi Forte (September 5th), featuring music, literary awards, and performances. Those planning a weekend in Irpinia can therefore catch multiple events in the same village.

How to make the most of it

Space is limited, and booking through the Pro Loco is the safest way to participate. It is best to arrive in the afternoon, visit the historic center in the daylight, and then stay for the evening tasting: at 9:00 PM, when the village lights up, the temperature drops, so a light sweater is useful even in mid-August.