Due Strade Festival (in honor of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina)

A hamlet festival in the heart of Irpinia

The Due Strade Festival takes place in the Due Strade hamlet of Pietrastornina, a small town in the province of Avellino perched on the slopes of the Partenio massif in Campania. It is a neighborhood festival in the truest sense: born from the community living along that stretch of road, it is organized by the Maria Santissima Annunziata Parish with the patronage of the Municipality of Pietrastornina. For a few nights, it transforms the square into an open-air living room where people eat, dance, and pray together. There are no grand stages or big names here; the value lies in participation, families returning to the village for the occasion, and the sense of belonging shared among the tables.

Devotion to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

The thread that ties everything together is the devotion to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, the Capuchin friar born in 1887 in Pietrastornina's neighbor, Pietrelcina, and who died in San Giovanni Rotondo in 1968. He is one of the most beloved figures in Southern Italy, and his image can be found in countless homes throughout Irpinia. The heart of the festival is the liturgical day, featuring the recitation of the rosary in the late afternoon, Holy Mass celebrated by the parish priest Father Giovanni Panichella, and the procession carrying the sacred image of the Saint through the hamlet's streets, accompanied by a brass band and civil, religious, and military authorities. The procession is followed by the supplication to Saint Pio, the most solemn moment of the entire event.

Food stalls

Once the religious portion concludes, the festival shifts gears toward the food stalls, which typically open around 8:00 PM. The cuisine is that of the traditional Irpinian countryside: simple and hearty. Expect handmade fusilli, roasted porchetta, and sausage sandwiches, all paired with local wines. Over the years, the festival has occasionally been explicitly titled the "Fusillo and Porchetta Festival," confirming these as the two signature dishes of the evening.

The dessert that brings everything to a close, however, is something special: a ten-meter-long hazelnut cream braid, prepared late in the evening in front of the public and then distributed to those present. This is no random choice; the hazelnut is one of the hallmark products of the Avellino area, and seeing it become a treat shared by the entire hamlet is perhaps the image that best captures the spirit of the festival.

Folk music and dance nights

Each evening features its own musical performance, usually around 9:00 PM. The repertoire favors folk music and Southern Italian traditions—tarantellas, traditional songs, and groups that get the square dancing—alternating with cover bands, entertainment shows, and dance nights that continue late into the night, with the cocktail bar open. It is the kind of programming that brings different generations together: children running between the tables, young people dancing, and the elderly sitting back to watch.

The fireworks finale

As is tradition for festivals in Campania, the closing is entrusted to a fireworks display: the pyrotechnics are launched at midnight over the hamlet, with the Partenio valley as a backdrop. Before the fireworks, the lottery draw usually takes place, with proceeds contributing to the festival's expenses and parish activities.

Pietrastornina and the Partenio

Those arriving for the festival would do well to set aside a few extra hours. Pietrastornina is a village of a few hundred inhabitants nestled in the greenery of the Partenio Regional Park, about twenty kilometers from Avellino. It offers fresh air even in the height of summer, hiking trails, chestnut and hazelnut groves, and a religious heritage that includes the Church of the Santissima Annunziata. The town's patron saint is Saint Blaise of Sebaste, celebrated in August, while the "Sagra del maiale e delle pappacelle" (Pork and Pepper Festival) is held in February. The Due Strade Festival is therefore one of many events in the village calendar, but it is the one that best tells the story of hamlet life.

When it takes place

The Municipality indicates the traditional period as the last ten days of July or the first ten days of August. In 2025, the festival was held from August 8th to 10th; in the past, in 2023, it took place between the end of September and the beginning of October. Since dates can vary from year to year, it is always advisable to check the updated calendar with the parish or the Municipality before setting off.