Fauriti a cena tra i portali in Vibonati

An open-air dinner beneath the village portals

"Fauriti a cena tra i portali di Vibonati" — which local chronicles also report in the dialect variant «Favuriti», meaning «favored» or «invited», the traditional Cilento way of calling someone to the table — is the gastronomic evening that brings the historic center of Vibonati, in southern Cilento, province of Salerno, to life. Tables are set up in Piazza Carceri and the surrounding narrow streets, illuminated for the occasion: guests dine outdoors, elbow to elbow, among the stone portals of the noble palaces that have made the village famous.

The Vibonati cavatello, the absolute star

The dish around which the entire evening revolves is the handmade Vibonati-style cavatello, fresh semolina pasta shaped with the quick finger movements passed down through generations, served with ragù. Alongside the cavatelli, the menu offers the honest, straightforward fare of Cilento village festivals:

• Handmade Vibonati-style cavatelli with ragù
• Sausage sandwich grilled over an open flame
• Pancetta sandwich from local producers

This is not restaurant dining: it is community cooking, prepared by volunteers using local products, which is the most authentic way to understand the gastronomy of this corner of Campania nestled between the Cilento National Park and the Gulf of Policastro.

Live music and village atmosphere

The culinary experience is complemented by musical entertainment: the evening is brought to life by the Federico Band, with a repertoire designed to get audiences of all ages dancing and singing. It is the classic balance of Cilento festivals, where music is not a concert to be listened to in silence, but the soundtrack to the dinner, between a plate of cavatelli and a chat with those at the next table.

Vibonati, the village of portals

Vibonati is known as the «village of portals»: its medieval center preserves a remarkable number of carved stone portals, the entrances to noble palaces scattered along the alleys of the historic center. Walking through these arches is an attraction in itself, and the event was created precisely to bring them to life on a summer evening rather than leaving them merely to be photographed. The municipality also includes the seaside hamlet of Villammare, on the Gulf of Policastro, which doubles the town's population in summer: the dinner among the portals thus becomes an opportunity for vacationers to head up from the coast to the hilltop village.

Who organizes it

The initiative takes place with the patronage and support of the Municipal Administration of Vibonati and the collaboration of the ANSPI Youth Center, the parish association active in the village. It is a popular event with no ticketing: local sources indicate free admission to the evening.

Why it is worth the evening

Those spending the summer in the Gulf of Policastro — between Sapri, Villammare, Policastro Bussentino, and the beaches of southern Cilento — will find here one of the most genuine evenings on the calendar: it is affordable, the food is excellent, and you discover a village that often remains off the beaten tourist path during the day. For families, it is a convenient, open-air, and accessible event; for those traveling in Cilento, it is a direct way to connect with village life, which remains the true attraction in this part of the Campania Region.