Cuzzetiello Festival

The Cuzzetiello Festival in the courtyard of the Convento di Sant'Antonio

Every year in June, the courtyard of the Convento di Sant'Antonio in Ischia transforms into a large open-air dining room. The Cuzzetiello Festival is the most convivial event of the celebrations in honor of Saint Anthony of Padua, organized by the Friars Minor together with the Festival Committee: an evening where faith, music, and culinary tradition meet under the island sky, welcoming both residents and visitors.

The cuzzetiello: bread that becomes a dish

The absolute star is the cuzzetiello: traditional 'cafone' bread with the crumb removed and filled with ragù and meatballs. It is the perfect symbol of the island's peasant cuisine, which wastes nothing and finds its strength in simplicity. Served hot and wrapped in paper, it is eaten standing up while strolling among the stalls: an informal gesture that is in itself a small collective ritual, bringing together grandparents, children, and curious tourists.

The food stalls, managed by the Festival Committee, open at 9:00 PM and remain the beating heart of the evening: here people queue, chat, and comment on their neighbor's portion. It is the most popular part of the festival, drawing hundreds of people into the convent courtyard every year.

Live music: from Neapolitan classics to Italian hits

Live music always accompanies the tasting. In the 2026 edition, the stage set up in the courtyard hosted I Personal, a group much-loved on the island, with a repertoire spanning from great Neapolitan classics to the most popular Italian hits. The result is an evening of eating, singing, and dancing, with no formalities and no entry tickets required.

At the heart of the Saint Anthony of Padua celebrations

The festival is not an isolated event: it is part of the calendar of celebrations that animate the convent and the surrounding neighborhood from June 1st to 13th, featuring both religious and secular events. Among the most anticipated moments:

• the vesting of the Saint and the procession toward the Spiaggia dei Pescatori, with the blessing of the sea, at the beginning of June;
• the Tredicina, with the rosary and Eucharistic celebrations every evening until the eve of the feast;
• a trumpet and organ concert and theatrical performances hosted in the convent courtyard;
• the day of the sick and the day dedicated to fishermen and sailors;
• June 13th, the Saint's day, with solemn masses, the midday supplication, the parade of the Banda Città d'Ischia, and the procession with the statues of Saint Anthony and the Madonna del Fuoco to the Spiaggia dei Pescatori.

A convent that tells the island's history

The Convento di Sant'Antonio stands along the Rampe di Sant'Antonio, on the edge of the ancient lava flow of 1301 that destroyed the original settlement. The current church was built in 1740 and has been officiated by the Friars Minor since 1920, who have made it a spiritual and social landmark for the city. For a few nights a year, its courtyard changes its function to become a square, a kitchen, and a dance floor.

Ischia, the Municipality and Campania

The Municipality of Ischia, in the province of Naples and therefore in Campania, is not just about spas and beaches: it is also a community that rediscovers its patronal feasts and traditional recipes in summer. Participating in the Cuzzetiello Festival means seeing the island from the inside, far from the most touristy seafront, in an evening that belongs first and foremost to the locals. For vacationers, it is also the most direct way to taste a dish rarely found on restaurant menus.

Why it's worth attending

• An iconic dish, the cuzzetiello, served in its most authentic version.
• An unusual setting: the courtyard of an 18th-century convent.
• Popular live music, blending Naples and Italian song.
• A family-friendly atmosphere, suitable for those traveling with children.
• The context of a heartfelt patronal feast, with processions and centuries-old rituals.