Felitto Fusillo Festival

The most anticipated festival in inland Cilento

In the heart of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, the town of Felitto (Salerno province, Campania) has just over a thousand inhabitants for most of the year. Then August arrives, and the village changes its face: for eleven days, the narrow streets of the historic center fill with long tables, the aroma of ragù, and the chatter of thousands of visitors arriving from across the region. The Felitto Fusillo Festival, organized by the Pro Loco Felitto, was founded in 1976 and is now one of the longest-running and most recognizable food and wine events in Campania.

The 'fusillo al ferretto', a Slow Food Presidium

The absolute star is the Felitto fusillo, a fresh, handmade pasta belonging to the hollow macaroni family. It has nothing to do with industrial spiral fusilli: here, the durum wheat semolina dough, enriched with six to eight eggs per kilo and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, is kneaded thoroughly, cut into strips, and rolled around a very thin, square-section steel rod. With quick movements, the pasta is stretched to over twenty centimeters in length and then left to air dry.

In the past, the rod was made from umbrella ribs; today, local blacksmiths forge them. The tradition, entirely female, was reserved for special occasions: Easter, Christmas, Carnival, and the patron saint's feast. Recognition as a Slow Food Presidium and as a Traditional Agri-food Product of the Campania Region has revitalized the entire supply chain, with a return to cultivating Senatore Cappelli durum wheat and local egg production.

What to eat

The festival kitchen runs at full speed for both lunch and dinner, with no reservations required. Alongside the signature dish, you can taste the entire repertoire of Cilento cuisine:

• Fusilli with mutton ragù, the most traditional version, or with veal ragù or fresh tomato sauce with goat cheese
• Ciaulieddo felittese, a traditional peasant vegetable dish
• Grilled wild boar sausage and local meats
• River trout, Cilento cheeses, and cured meats
• Homemade desserts and local wines

Music, exhibitions, and evenings in the square

The festival is not just about food. Every evening, the historic center hosts live music, with a special focus on Cilento folk music and folklore groups, as well as more modern bands. The program is completed by painting and photography exhibitions, artisan displays, children's entertainment, and, above all, live demonstrations of fusillo preparation: the village women, from the oldest to the youngest, work the dough in front of the public, which is perhaps the most photographed moment of the entire event.

A village worth the trip

Those who arrive in Felitto find much more than just a festival. The village is dominated by the medieval castle, a fiefdom of the Sanseverino and Carafa families, built at the highest point of the town and once defended by walls and thirteen watchtowers, some of which are still visible. A few minutes from the center are the famous Gole del Calore (Calore Gorges) in the Remolino area: emerald green waters set between rock walls, accessible by canoe or pedal boat and reachable via short river trekking paths. It is the perfect combination for an August day: morning at the river, afternoon in the village, evening at the table.

Why it's worth visiting

In a landscape of often improvised festivals, the Felitto event retains an authentic character: a protected identity product, an entire community working for weeks on preparations, popular prices, and a village atmosphere that persists even on the busiest evenings. For those visiting Cilento in summer, it is the simplest opportunity to understand firsthand what traditional cuisine really means in this part of Campania.