Chestnut Festival

The village of chestnuts

Perched over 700 meters above sea level on the slopes of the Partenio mountains, the town of Summonte, in the province of Avellino, is one of the most charming villages in inland Campania. Stone alleyways, staircases, arches, and the unmistakable silhouette of the Angevin Tower overlooking the valley: this is the setting where, every autumn, the Chestnut Festival takes place—one of the longest-running and most popular food and wine events in Irpinia.

The festival was created to promote the product that has sustained the economy of the Partenio towns for centuries: the chestnut. The woods surrounding Summonte have always been a precious resource for local families, and the festival is the moment when the entire community comes together to share this tradition with visitors.

The Partenio chestnut on the table

The heart of the event is the roasting pans, which fill the village squares with a scent recognizable even from the road leading into town. Alongside roasted chestnuts, the food stalls set up along the historic center offer the flavors of the Irpinian tradition:

• roasted chestnuts prepared in large iron pans
• typical chestnut-based dishes and desserts
• local honey and forest products
• new wine and Irpinian wines
• traditional Campanian gastronomic specialties

Each stall is managed by local associations, making the festival a deeply grassroots event rather than a simple commercial fair: you eat standing up, wandering through the alleys, moving from one station to the next.

Music, markets, and entertainment

The proven formula alternates gastronomy with entertainment. In the squares and along the main streets, there are musical performances, wandering bands, folk dances, and entertainment that keep visitors engaged until the evening. Craft markets occupy the village spaces with traditional handmade goods and local products, while activities dedicated to children make the event suitable for families as well.

The atmosphere is typical of autumn festivals in the South: the illuminated village, the smoke from the roasting pans, music echoing between the stone houses, and a crowd moving slowly from one tasting to the next.

Guided tours of the Angevin Tower and woodland walks

The Chestnut Festival is not just about food. During the event, guided tours are organized to the village, the Mother Church, and the Castle Complex with its tower, one of the architectural symbols of Irpinia. In the 2025 edition, the tower also hosted a 3D virtual reality experience dedicated to the history of the castle.

On the nature front, the program usually includes walks in the chestnut groves of the Partenio Regional Park, with chestnut picking, and excursions along the trails leading to the Hermitage of San Silvestro and the summit of the Partenio. It is the best way to understand where the product you are tasting in the squares comes from.

A tradition over forty years long

The festival reached its 41st edition in 2025, following the 40th in 2024: a milestone that testifies to the continuity of an event that has become an identity-defining appointment for Summonte and the entire Partenio district. The organization is handled by the Municipal Administration together with the Pro Loco Submontis and the Chestnut Festival Association, with the involvement of local community groups.

When it takes place

The event is traditionally held in October, at the height of the harvest season, over a weekend (in recent editions, Saturday and Sunday; in the past, sometimes over three days). The dates for the next edition are communicated by the organizers through the official website and the festival's social media channels: it is advisable to check them before setting off.