Festa de lo Ucciolo

A humble dough that became a town's identity

The ucciolo was born from a daily ritual in Irpinian rural kitchens: before baking bread, housewives would take a piece of dough made of flour, water, salt, and sourdough, and place it in the wood-fired oven to check if the temperature was just right. Once baked and split open, that piece of dough was filled with whatever the pantry offered—soppressata, pancetta, eggplant, cheeses, garden vegetables—and became the most anticipated snack for children. In Castelvetere sul Calore, in the heart of Irpinia in the province of Avellino, that simple gesture has evolved into a festival that fills the historic center every year.

Where and when it takes place

The festival is held every year at the beginning of July in Piazza Monumento, the town's open-air living room, where characteristic mobile wood-fired ovens are set up to prepare and bake the ucciolo in front of the public. The 2026 edition, the sixteenth, took place from Friday, July 3rd to Sunday, July 5th, and introduced a new feature destined to stay: Ucciolo Street Love, a space dedicated in Piazza Santa Croce designed as an evocative spot where music, conviviality, and entertainment meet.

What to eat

• Classic ucciolo, wood-fired and filled on the spot with typical Irpinian cured meats
• Variations with local cheeses, seasonal vegetables, and eggplant
• Local wine: we are in the land of Aglianico, just a few kilometers from the Taurasi hills
• Beer and soft drinks at the stalls managed by volunteers

Everything is prepared by the volunteers of the Associazione L'Ucciolo, which promotes the event together with the local community; proceeds are traditionally allocated to the enhancement and restoration of the town's architectural heritage.

Music and evenings

Every evening, the square turns into an open-air dance floor. Recent editions have featured popular orchestras capable of engaging audiences of all ages alongside younger, experimental groups: in 2026, Salotto Italiano, Drowsle with Alba Alba, and Vinyl Gianpy performed, while in 2025, the Piccimondo and Achille e i Simpatici Italiani orchestras were the stars. It is the typical Irpinian square dance, where tables empty as soon as the tammurriata or a Neapolitan music classic begins.

The StraUcciolo, the race that closes the festival

On Sunday, the festival also moves to the streets: the StraUcciolo is a running race that reached its eleventh edition in 2026, with a route of about 10 kilometers crossing the territories of Castelvetere sul Calore and Montemarano, featuring ups and downs and views over the Calore valley. The start is set for late afternoon, at 6:30 PM, and at the finish line, athletes are treated to a refreshment based strictly on freshly baked ucciolo.

The village and its surroundings

Castelvetere sul Calore is a small town of just over 1,400 inhabitants in inland Campania, which grew around a Lombard-origin castle: the name derives from the Latin castrum vetus, meaning "old castle." The village preserves a compact medieval layout, stone alleys, and views over the Irpinian mountains, and is located in an area rich in oenological excellence, a short distance from Taurasi, Montemarano, and the Fiano and Greco di Tufo areas. Visiting the festival therefore means combining the event with an itinerary through wineries, forests, and mountain villages.

Recommended for

• Families: free entry, open spaces, and simple food appreciated by children
• Traditional cuisine enthusiasts: here, the preparation happens right before the public's eyes
• Runners and walkers, thanks to the Sunday StraUcciolo
• Curious travelers who want to discover authentic Irpinia, off the beaten path