Festival dell'Erranza

A festival of thought at the foot of the Matese mountains

The Festival dell'Erranza is one of the longest-running cultural events in the Alto Casertano region. It takes place in the town of Piedimonte Matese, in the province of Caserta, nestled in the heart of inland Campania at the foot of the Matese massif. It is neither a food festival nor a standard performance series; it is a celebration of words and listening, where each edition revolves around a core theme explored by writers, philosophers, historians, journalists, actors, and musicians. The underlying idea, as the name suggests, is that of 'wandering' as a method: moving beyond established answers, shifting perspectives, and crossing disciplinary boundaries.

The fourteenth edition: "Non-belonging and Listening"

The 14th edition, scheduled for Friday, May 29, and Saturday, May 30, 2026, chose a highly relevant theme: "Non-belonging and Listening." Artistic director Roberto Perrotti summarized it as follows: non-belonging is "creative suspension," while listening "will determine an openness toward the Other." In a homogenized and distracted society, the festival proposed the willingness to welcome what has not yet been named as a true act of cultural resistance.

The 2026 program

Two days packed with meetings, all hosted in the Dominican cloister, featuring book presentations, philosophical dialogues, and a final musical evening.

• Friday, May 29 — Francesca Scotti with La stagione delle case vuote; Erica Cassano with Duramadre; philosopher Antonio Bevacqua and editor Erminia Madeo discussing Trasmondanza.
• Saturday, May 30 — essayist and novelist Giuseppe Lupo with Medioccidente; writer Antonio Moresco with Il finimondo; a focus on Cultural Resistance with lawyer and director Domenico Ciruzzi and actress Antonella Stefanucci, with contributions from Guglielmo Ferrazzano, Francesco Biondi, and Annalisa Gambuti.
• Saturday, May 30, 9:00 PM — musical finale with Sabrina Carnevale, Francesco Cairo, and the Batida live band.

The cloister of San Tommaso d'Aquino

The venue is one of the city's most evocative sites: the Monumental Complex of the Dominican Convent of San Tommaso d'Aquino, whose cloister hosts the public, guest tables, and the stage. It is an intimate space that fosters close dialogue between speakers and the audience: participants do not just watch, but can intervene, ask questions, and continue discussions at the end of each meeting.

A festival born in 2013

The first edition dates back to 2013. Since then, the festival has built a coherent path, alternating a different theme each year and inviting prominent voices from the Italian cultural scene to Piedimonte Matese. Recent editions have addressed topics such as the numbness of conscience and poetic creation, artificial intelligence, and the relationship between body and technology.

Schools, books, and local wine

One of the most characteristic aspects of the event is its connection to the local area. In 2026, the festival collaborated with the "V. De Franchis" Institute and the "Galileo Galilei" State High School in Piedimonte Matese, involving students in research related to the festival's themes. The cloister also features a corner for the Feltrinelli Bookstore, present since the first edition, and a tasting area managed by the La Guardiense winery, which has supported the festival for over ten years.

Why it's worth the trip

For those visiting the Alto Casertano, the Erranza is an opportunity to discover Piedimonte Matese in a light other than hiking: a mountain town that, for two days, becomes a national forum for discussion, with free admission and an audience that travels from neighboring provinces. A simple, sober, and high-quality format, far removed from the logic of mass events.