Christmas in Cisterna
The Christmas village of Santa Lucia di Serino, featuring the traditional fucarone bonfire, the Moscati House Museum, and the flavors of Irpinia
Edition 2026 not confirmed to date
This edition has not been confirmed by the organiser to date. We recommend checking before going.
About Christmas in Cisterna
A Christmas village in the heart of Irpinia
Christmas in Cisterna is the event that transforms Piazza San Giuseppe Moscati in Santa Lucia di Serino into a magical village of lights, wooden huts, and festive scenery every December. Promoted by the Santa Lucia and San Rocco Festival Committee in collaboration with the Cuore Amico association and supported by the Municipality of Santa Lucia di Serino, the festival has quickly become one of the most cherished winter traditions in this corner of the Province of Avellino, in the heart of inland Campania.
The name pays homage to the Cisterna district, one of the town's historic centers, and perfectly captures the spirit of the initiative: it is not a commercial fair, but a community celebration built by local associations, where the village itself becomes the stage.
Dates and the bond with the patronal feast
The event takes place around December 13th, the day the town celebrates its patron saint, Saint Lucy. This is no minor detail: the Christmas village is rooted in ancient devotion and the hard work of the festival committee, which also manages the Saint Roch celebrations throughout the year. The second edition took place from Friday, December 12th to Sunday, December 14th, 2025, while the first edition brought the village to life in December 2024.
The Moscati House Museum
The cultural heart of the event is the Moscati House Museum, the paternal home of Saint Giuseppe Moscati, the saintly physician whose family originated from Santa Lucia di Serino. During the festival, the house opens to the public for guided tours: a rare opportunity to enter a place that serves as both a family memorial and a pilgrimage site, and which gives the town's main square its name.
Irpinian flavors and craftsmanship
The food and wine stalls are the beating heart of the event: traditional Irpinian peasant dishes, local products, Christmas sweets, and regional wines, all prepared and served by committee volunteers. Alongside them, craft stalls offer handmade creations, decorations, and gift ideas, in a format that promotes the workshops and artisans of the Sabato Valley.
- Tastings of traditional Irpinian cuisine
- Local products and traditional Christmas sweets
- Craft stalls featuring decorations and gifts
- Roasted chestnuts around the fire
Music, lights, and the fucarone
The festival's soundtrack is provided by the Christmas music of the Serino Comprehensive Institute orchestra and roaming folk music groups that wander through the town center. At dusk, the festive lights are switched on and the fucarone comes to life—the large Christmas bonfire that marks the rhythm of the festivities in many Irpinian towns. People gather around the flames to share roasted chestnuts and enjoy each other's company, following a ritual that long predates the modern trend of Christmas markets.
A family-friendly event
The program is explicitly designed for children: Santa Claus arrives on his sleigh to meet the little ones, while street performers and entertainment accompany visitors along the decorated streets. It is a family-friendly event with a relaxed pace and short distances, making it suitable for those traveling with strollers or elderly family members.
The territory: Santa Lucia di Serino
With just over 1,300 inhabitants and an altitude of about 400 meters, Santa Lucia di Serino is one of the smallest municipalities in the Province of Avellino. It is part of the Terminio Cervialto Mountain Community and the Monti Picentini Regional Park, an area known for the springs that supply the Naples aqueduct and for a mountain gastronomy rich in chestnuts, vegetables, and cheeses. Visitors arriving for the Christmas village will find the villages of the Sabato Valley and the trails of Mount Terminio just a few kilometers away.
Why it's worth the trip
Christmas in Cisterna does not aim for massive crowds: it is a short festival, concentrated over a single weekend, yet it offers an authentic glimpse of Christmas in the villages of inland Campania. Those looking for a monumental market might be surprised; those who want to understand how Christmas is experienced in a small Irpinian town—amidst devotion, home-cooked food, and bonfires in the square—will find one of the most sincere experiences in the province here.
Christmas in Cisterna — edition 2026
2026 Edition: information not yet available
No official dates have been published for Christmas in Cisterna 2026. This page is kept updated pending announcements from the Santa Lucia and San Rocco Festival Committee, which has communicated the calendar through social media channels and the Sistema Irpinia portal of the Province of Avellino in previous years.
The two previous editions were both held in December, in the second half of the month in 2024 and during the weekend of the Saint Lucy patronal feast in 2025. It is therefore reasonable to expect an event in Piazza San Giuseppe Moscati, in the Municipality of Santa Lucia di Serino, for 2026 as well, but no date can be considered confirmed until the organizers make it public.
Those wishing to participate can follow the updates from the organizing committee or contact the representatives directly as indicated in the practical information.
Prices Christmas in Cisterna 2026
Practical information — Christmas in Cisterna
Where it takes place
Piazza San Giuseppe Moscati and surrounding streets, 83020 Santa Lucia di Serino (AV), Campania. All activities are concentrated in the town center and are within walking distance.
How to get there
- By car: The reference motorway exit is Avellino Est on the A16 Naples-Canosa; from there, continue towards the Sabato Valley in the direction of Serino. Parking is available on the streets around the square: it is advisable to arrive early in the evening.
- By train and bus: The reference station is Avellino, connected to the valley towns by regional bus lines. Services are reduced on public holidays: please check schedules in advance.
- By plane: Naples-Capodichino Airport is just over an hour's drive away.
Admission and costs
There is no entrance fee: access to the Christmas village is free. Food and drink at the stalls and purchases at the craft stands are paid separately.
Information and contacts
Santa Lucia and San Rocco Festival Committee: Mario +39 345 2321413, Luca +39 389 9949200. For visits to the Moscati House Museum: Gaetano +39 349 1349227. Tourist information is also available via the Sistema Irpinia portal of the Province of Avellino.
Practical tips
- The town is located at an altitude of about 400 meters: December evenings are cold, so winter clothing and comfortable shoes are recommended.
- Tours of the Moscati House Museum have limited capacity: it is advisable to inquire in advance.
- For lunch or dinner outside the stalls, restaurants are mainly located in the nearby town of Serino and along the road to Avellino.
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Where does it take place — Christmas in Cisterna
Piazza San Giuseppe Moscati
Piazza San Giuseppe Moscati, 83020 Santa Lucia di Serino