Fava and Pork Festival - Feast of Saint Peter the Apostle and Martyr

A festival that opens the Irpinian summer

At the end of June, the Sabina hamlet of Aiello del Sabato, a small town in the province of Avellino in Campania, transforms for a few days into the hub of village life. The Fava and Pork Festival is held as part of the celebrations in honor of Saint Peter the Apostle and Martyr, the hamlet's patron saint, celebrated every year on June 29th. It is the festival that, as the locals say, opens the Aiello summer: when the lights are switched on along the road leading to the small church, everyone knows that the beautiful season has officially begun.

Fava beans with pork, a simple and iconic dish

The absolute star of the festival is a humble dish from the Irpinian peasant tradition: fava beans with pork. The fava beans, harvested at the beginning of summer, are slow-cooked with pork according to a recipe passed down from generation to generation. They are prepared by the women of the hamlet, who work for days in the kitchens set up for the occasion: this, more than anything else, gives the event its authentic character of a festival made by the community for the community.

• Fava beans with pork, the specialty that gives the festival its name
• Other local specialties of Irpinian cuisine served at the stalls
• Local wine, from a province that is the homeland of Taurasi, Fiano di Avellino, and Greco di Tufo

The Feast of Saint Peter the Apostle and Martyr

Alongside the gastronomic side runs the religious program, which remains the heart of the event: recitation of the rosary, holy masses, and, on June 29th, the procession with the statue of the Saint carried on the shoulders of the faithful through the streets of the hamlet. On the morning of the procession, the inhabitants wake up to the sound of the brass band, which marches through the village with traditional tunes. It is a ritual that has been repeated for generations and that the elderly try to pass on to the younger ones as a living part of their culture.

Music, illuminations, and open-air evenings

The festival evenings are enlivened by open-air musical performances: past editions have featured folk music groups and dance orchestras, with concerts continuing late into the night. The illuminations, candy stalls, and activities for children complete the atmosphere of a village festival that attracts visitors even from the neighboring towns of the Sabato valley.

Where it takes place: the Sabina hamlet

The Sabina hamlet is located on the border between Cesinali and Atripalda, just a few minutes from Avellino. It is a residential cluster gathered around its small church, with narrow streets that fill with tables, stalls, and people during the festival days. The Municipality of Aiello del Sabato has just over four thousand inhabitants and takes its name from the Sabato river, which flows through the valley at the foot of the town.

Why it is worth visiting

The Fava and Pork Festival is not an event built for tourism: it is an authentic patronal feast, where religious ritual, home cooking, and folk music coexist without filters. For those visiting Irpinia at the end of June, it represents a rare opportunity to get in touch with the real life of a Campanian village, tasting a dish that is hard to find in restaurants and that remains a shared heritage here.