Festa delle Stese

Dining in the square in Montella

In August, when the evenings grow cooler and Irpinia fills with visitors, the center of Montella, a town in the province of Avellino in Campania, transforms into a large open-air dining room. The Festa delle Stese is an evening dedicated to a single star: stese, the pasta shape that has been hand-rolled here for generations. The event begins at 8:00 PM in Piazza Bartoli, also known as Piazza degli Irpini, and continues late into the night amidst shared tables, lively conversation, and glasses of red wine.

What are stese?

Stese are a durum wheat semolina pasta, simple in ingredients but far from basic in preparation. The dough, intentionally firm, is rolled out and cut with a serrated wooden rolling pin, resulting in thick strands similar to spaghetti alla chitarra but heartier, perfect for holding onto sauce. The name comes from the Italian verb stendere (to roll out). It is a signature pasta of Montella, still crafted by local women today, and the festival was born with the explicit goal of keeping this tradition alive.

Stese pair perfectly with the local Irpinian ragù, but tradition also calls for more rustic versions, cooked with legumes or flavored with herbs kneaded directly into the semolina. It is mountain cuisine that finds its essence in simplicity.

The evening menu

In past editions, the Irpinia e Sapori association has centered the evening around a few select dishes, all deeply rooted in the territory:

• Stese with tomato sauce and grated dry ricotta, the most classic version;
• Stese with porcini mushrooms and fresh truffle, a tribute to the woods surrounding the town;
• Aglianico, a high-quality local red wine to accompany the meal;
• a delicious surprise served after midnight, while the square is still buzzing.

Prices have always been accessible: in previous editions, dishes started at around 6 euros. The festival area has been noted as fully accessible.

Piazza Bartoli, the town's living room

Piazza Bartoli is not a random choice of location: it is the meeting point of Montella, the square that hosts most of the town's summer events, from association parties to performances. Set up with long tables, it becomes a place where different generations sit side-by-side over the same plate. Visitors from out of town will find a genuine welcome, free of tourist filters: this is a festival made by the people of Montella for the people of Montella, and that is exactly why it is worth the trip.

Montella, the PGI Chestnut and the mountains

Montella is best known for its Castagna di Montella PGI, celebrated in autumn with an event that draws visitors from all over Campania, but its gastronomic heritage does not end there: homemade pasta, mushrooms, black truffle, cheeses, and cured meats make up a basket that tells the story of inland Irpinia. The town is also the gateway to the Verteglia plateau, a destination for summer hiking and camping, and its summer season alternates between food festivals, sports, nature, and music throughout August.

A piece of "Montella Estate"

The Festa delle Stese is part of the summer program promoted by the Municipality of Montella in collaboration with numerous local associations. In recent editions, the evening has been part of a packed calendar, including village festivals, sporting events, activities for children, and other gastronomic events dedicated to local products. Those planning a holiday in Irpinia in August can easily fit multiple events into the same stay.

Why it's worth going

Because it is one of those festivals that doesn't need elaborate staging: all it takes is a square, a type of pasta you won't find anywhere else, and a group of volunteers preparing it just as it was done at home. If you are looking for the authentic Irpinia—the one of mountain villages and recipes passed down by word of mouth—you will find it here in the very first course.