Chestnut Festival

A festival that smells of chestnuts in the Picentini Mountains

At the foot of the Picentini Mountains, just a few kilometres from Salerno, the town of San Cipriano Picentino celebrates every autumn the fruit that for centuries has defined the economy and cuisine of this corner of Campania. The Chestnut Festival is one of the longest-running gastronomic events in the Province of Salerno: for four days, the village centre transforms into a grand culinary trail, with local families returning to their cauldrons and perforated roasting pans, while the scent of wood fires mingles with that of must and honey.

The squares of taste

The heart of the event is not a single area, but a network of squares and open spaces in the town, each with its own kitchen and atmosphere. Visitors can walk from one to the other, sampling different dishes:

• Piazza Grande dei Castagnari, the main square of the festival, where the historic stalls and traditional cuisine are concentrated;
• Piazza dei Giovani Castagnari, more informal and popular with the local youth;
• Piazza del Municipio, in front of the town hall, a meeting point and starting point for the tasting tour;
• the characteristic «Ngopp' a Crucell» area, one of the most picturesque corners of the village.

The plates are filled with fragrant roasted chestnuts, boiled chestnuts, dishes prepared with chestnut flour, rustic soups, traditional peasant desserts, and artisanal liqueurs, accompanied by wines from the Picentini hills and local honey. It is simple cuisine that needs no reinterpretation: the recipes are those passed down from generation to generation in the village homes.

Sunday: historical re-enactment and district games

However, the San Cipriano Picentino festival is not just a food fair: Sunday is the most anticipated day, reconnecting the community with its collective memory. In the morning, a historical re-enactment in illustrated tableaux of the town's history takes place, with the participation of the Chiarine di Sant'Anna all'Oliveto and the Flag-wavers and Musicians of the State of Diano: a costumed procession with drums and flags parades through the streets of the centre.

In the afternoon, it is time for the district games, a challenge that pits the town's neighbourhoods against each other in tests of strength and skill, and the famous carruoccioli race, featuring wooden carts launched down the slope. The day ends late in the evening with fireworks and the ritual of the «Ciuccio di fuoco», a pyrotechnic silhouette that spins through the crowd, marking the true final farewell of the festival.

Folk music and evenings in the square

Every evening, the programme features open-air concerts and shows, with a clear preference for the folk repertoire of the South: tarantellas, tammurriatas, and traditional Campanian songs, alternating with bands offering 80s and 90s revivals. Music accompanies the tastings until late at night, without monumental stages or large productions: it is a village festival, and it intentionally maintains a familiar dimension.

Almost half a century of history

The first edition dates back to the late 1970s. In 2017, the community celebrated its fortieth edition, and 2025 marked the forty-sixth: an almost uninterrupted journey that has made the festival a landmark in the autumn calendar of Salerno. The organisation is managed by the Castagnari association together with the Municipality, with the widespread involvement of the districts and local volunteers.

Why it's worth the trip

For those visiting Campania in autumn, San Cipriano Picentino offers a concrete alternative to the more beaten paths of the Amalfi Coast: a compact village, a landscape of chestnut groves, and a festival where the relationship between food, community, and territory is still authentic. Admission is free, and you only pay for what you consume at the stalls, making the festival a destination also suitable for families and groups of friends.