Corn Cob Festival

A rustic festival at the foot of the Matese

The Corn Cob Festival takes place in Mastrati, a tiny hamlet in the municipality of Pratella, in the province of Caserta, in the far north of Campania. We are in the Upper Caserta region, between the Volturno valley and the lower slopes of the Matese massif: a landscape of cornfields, natural springs, and quiet villages where the local festival is still a community affair rather than a tourist product. For nearly forty years, every summer, the entire hamlet has come together to welcome visitors with open-air tables, large copper pots, and recipes passed down through generations.

Frattacchio, the dish that defines Mastrati

The signature dish of the festival is frattacchio, a preparation rarely found anywhere else in Italy. It starts with a local cornmeal polenta: once cooked, it is left to cool and then sliced into very thin layers using hemp twine, just as it was done in the past when proper blades were scarce. The layers are then seasoned like lasagna and baked in the oven.

The traditional topping is a sauce made with pieces of pork, left to rest for days in terracotta vessels before cooking; in poorer households, frattacchio was instead accompanied by sun-dried tomatoes grown in the garden. The dish originated as winter food for the tenant farmers of the great agricultural estate of the Princes Ferrara Pignatelli, who provided sustenance to Mastrati during the hardest times, including the war. Transforming it into the heart of a summer festival has been a way for the community to pay homage to the hard work and memory of those families.

What to eat

Alongside the frattacchio, the stalls offer an essential and flavorful rustic menu, served by those who have been preparing it at home for generations:

• Frattacchio with pork sauce, the traditional dish, served piping hot;
• soups and local bean dishes;
• pasta and chickpeas and other legume-based soups;
• homemade bread and baked goods;
• cured meats, cheeses, and typical local products from the Upper Caserta region;
• homemade desserts and local wine.

Portions are collected at distribution points and enjoyed at tables set up along the streets and small squares of the hamlet: the atmosphere is informal and communal, typical of a village festival.

Music, dancing, and atmosphere

The gastronomic experience is complemented each year by a program of live music and entertainment, with folk bands and dance evenings that bring Mastrati to life until late at night. It is a festival lived in the streets, with local families, emigrants returning for the summer, and visitors arriving from neighboring towns: over the years, the Corn Cob Festival has become one of the most anticipated events in the entire Upper Caserta area.

Pratella, a land of water and history

It is worth arriving a few hours early to explore the area. The municipality of Pratella, with just over a thousand inhabitants, is crossed by the Lete River and is known for its naturally sparkling mineral water springs and the medieval village of the Pratellari. In the Mastrati area, Neolithic artifacts have been found, while on the summit of Mount Cavuto, there are traces of a Samnite settlement with megalithic walls, identified by some scholars as the ancient Callifae. From the hamlets of Mastrati and Roccavecchia, trails and cycling routes lead toward the Matese, perfect for a day in the open air before dinner in the square.

When it takes place

The festival is traditionally held at the end of August, historically on the evenings of August 21st and 22nd, with stands opening in the early evening. The 37th edition took place in 2025. Dates and the program for each edition are announced by the organizers on the event's official social media channels: it is advisable to check them before setting off.