Festival of Flavours

Five evenings of flavours in the heart of Cilento

The Festival of Flavours is the most awaited summer event in Rutino, a small town of just over seven hundred inhabitants perched at an altitude of 367 metres in the Cilento hills, in the province of Salerno. Every year, during the second week of August, the village opens its streets to visitors for five consecutive evenings dedicated to local cuisine and products.

This is not a festival dedicated to a single dish, as is often the case in Campania, but rather a showcase that brings together the entire repertoire of Cilento gastronomy: this is why the name refers to 'flavours' in the plural. A formula that, over the years, has made the festival a benchmark in the mid-summer Cilento festival calendar.

The historic centre becomes a food and wine trail

The heart of the event is the historic centre. Along the streets, alleys and small squares of the village, stalls are set up where local producers and skilled village cooks offer the best of Cilento cuisine. You walk from one station to the next, let yourself be guided by the aromas, taste, enjoy a glass of wine and continue your stroll: it is the itinerant formula that makes many village festivals in Cilento so famous.

The setting does much of the work. The stone arches, noble palaces and ancient doorways of the village, from Palazzo Lombardi to Palazzo Colombaia, create a backdrop that has a special charm on August evenings, with the lights on and the streets full of life.

What to eat

The offering revolves around zero-kilometre products and recipes handed down from generation to generation, from typical first courses to specialities based on local produce. Among the most recurring offerings:

• fresh, handmade traditional Cilento pasta, served with homemade sauces;
• cheeses and cured meats from local farms;
• artisanal desserts, including fried zeppole, which have a long tradition in Rutino and were long the stars of a dedicated festival;
• wines from the hillside cellars of Cilento, which accompany the entire trail.

Many of the excellent products presented at the stalls can also be purchased: the festival thus serves as a small showcase for the artisanal and agricultural production of the area.

Live music every night

Alongside the gastronomic aspect, there is always a musical programme. Each evening features live performances ranging from Cilento folk music to more modern genres, creating the lively atmosphere typical of August nights in the hinterland. Past editions have seen a rotation of folk groups linked to local traditions and pop or dance bands, with concerts enlivening the squares until late at night.

Rutino, a village to discover

Rutino appears in documents as early as 954 under the name Ruticinum. The Municipality of Rutino preserves the church of San Michele Arcangelo, of medieval origin and remodelled in 1885, the Totem of Peace by sculptor Mario Molinari and several historic palaces; the municipal territory also includes the hamlet of Rutino Scalo. The patronal feast of San Michele Arcangelo, featuring the re-enactment of the 'Flight of the Angel', is held in spring, on the second Sunday of May: those arriving in August will find the Festival of Flavours, but the village calendar is active all year round.

The village is located a short distance from the Cilento coast and the towns of Agropoli and Vallo della Lucania, in an area of olive groves and vineyards bordering the municipalities of Lustra, Perito, Prignano Cilento and Torchiara. It is a great base for combining sea and hills in a single stay.

Organisers

The event is organised by the Pro Loco Rutino, with the patronage of the Municipality of Rutino, as part of a summer calendar of cultural, musical and entertainment initiatives designed to enliven the village during the months of highest tourist influx. Updates on dates and the programme are shared on the Pro Loco's social media channels and on the Facebook page dedicated to the festival.