Feijoa Day

An exotic fruit that has become a Sannio identity

The feijoa originates from South America, but in Sant'Agata de' Goti, in the heart of the Benevento Sannio, it has found a second home. According to local producers, it all began over sixty years ago when the family grandfather received two small saplings as a gift along with other fruit trees. From those two plants, one of the largest feijoa plantations in Europe was born, now featuring four different varieties. Feijoa Day was created to introduce this green, intensely fragrant fruit—still little known to the general Italian public—and to share the agricultural labor behind it.

The village that turns green

The event takes place in the historic center of Sant'Agata de' Goti, one of the most photographed villages in Campania: a medieval town perched on a tuff spur in the municipality of the same name in the province of Benevento. For an autumn weekend, alleys, small squares, and historic cellars host stalls, local product vendors, and themed displays, while the surrounding countryside opens up to visitors. This formula has made the event a highly anticipated appointment throughout the Valle Caudina.

What to do during the event

The program of past editions has consistently offered a journey combining gastronomy, agriculture, and culture:

• Feijoa Market and stalls featuring typical Sannio products, including jams, liqueurs, desserts, and preserves made from the fruit;
• Tastings and cooking demonstrations featuring feijoa-based recipes;
• Walks in the plantations and visits to the largest cultivation in the area, reachable by the tourist train connecting the center to the orchard;
• The feijoa hunt, a harvesting game dedicated to children among the rows of trees;
• Street performers: magicians, acrobats, fire-eaters, and traveling shows through the village streets;
• Meetings with experts on the history, curiosities, and nutritional properties of the fruit, which is rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber;
• Guided tours of the Alfonsian Sites, following in the footsteps of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, who was the bishop of Sant'Agata de' Goti;
• Initiatives by local merchants in the historic center, with special offers and discount vouchers.

Recent editions

The fourth edition took place on Saturday, October 25 and Sunday, October 26, 2025, with continuous hours from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM and the tourist train running on Sunday. In 2024, the event fell on Sunday, October 27, while in 2023, it was held on Sunday, October 29, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, featuring a market in the center and a vintage motorcycle exhibition. The feijoa harvest occurs in October: it is the moment when the fruit reaches full ripeness and is at its most fragrant.

Organizers

The event is promoted by the Diglio Maria Carmela Farm in collaboration with the De Rosa Nursery, with the support of the Municipality of Sant'Agata de' Goti, the Pro Loco, the Workers' Society, the local Info Point, and students from the tourism program of the high school named after Alfonso Maria de' Liguori, who assist in welcoming visitors. The organizers' stated goal is to foster direct contact between farmers, food artisans, and consumers, following a short supply chain philosophy.

Why it's worth the trip

Attending Feijoa Day means discovering two things: a niche agricultural product that has become a small Campanian food and wine phenomenon in just a few years, and a village that justifies the trip on its own, with its cathedral, ducal castle, and viewpoints over the ravines surrounding the tuff spur. The atmosphere is that of the most successful village festivals: familiar, not at all commercial, and offering the chance to taste and buy while chatting with the growers. Those who have never seen a feijoa will discover a fruit that tastes like a mix of pineapple, apple, and mint, and which is transformed here into ice creams, liqueurs, and jams.