Fusilli and Mugliatielli Festival

A festival born from the Carmine celebrations

The Fusilli and Mugliatielli Festival is not a manufactured event; it is the culinary heart of the celebrations in honor of Maria Santissima del Carmine, the most cherished moment of the summer in San Giorgio del Sannio, a town in the province of Benevento, Campania. For years, the parish priest, the festival committee, and a team of local volunteers have transformed Piazza De Gregorio into an open-air kitchen for three consecutive nights. The result is a festival that remains popular in the truest sense of the word: affordable prices, long communal tables, entire families gathering in the square, and visitors arriving from across the Valle del Sabato and the rest of the Sannio region.

Fusilli and mugliatielli, two dishes that tell the story of the land

The stars of the show are two first and second courses of Sannio peasant cuisine, both rooted in a philosophy of zero waste. The fusillo is fresh pasta hand-rolled around a thin iron rod, a slow process that the town's grandmothers continue to teach to the younger volunteers: its rough surface holds the sauce perfectly, which is why it is served in its simplest and most effective version, with a traditional meat ragù.

The mugliatielli (or ammugliatielli) are rolls of goat or lamb offal, wrapped and tied by hand, then slow-cooked. Once considered a «poor» dish because it was born from using ingredients that were discarded elsewhere, it is now one of the defining symbols of the gastronomy of the Campanian hinterland and one of the reasons why this festival is sought after even by those living outside the province of Benevento.

What to eat at the stands

• Hand-made fusilli with traditional sauce
• Goat or lamb mugliatielli
• Grilled meat
• Stuffed peppers
• Caciocavallo impiccato (grilled hanging cheese)
• French fries, watermelon, desserts, and drinks
• Sannio wines and other local specialties

Live music every night

Each evening features a musical performance on the stage set up in the square: bands and duos from the Campanian circuit, dance repertoires, 80s and 90s revivals, Neapolitan songs, and folk music that gets people up from their tables. This isn't a high-brow music festival, and that is exactly the point: the music here serves to keep the square buzzing until late at night, long after the food stands have closed.

One edition after another

The festival has a rare continuity for an event managed entirely by volunteers: the ninth edition took place in July 2022 as part of a ten-day calendar that also included the Pizza Festival and the Don Costantino Memorial; the tenth was held from July 7 to 9, 2023; the eleventh from July 5 to 7, 2024; and the twelfth in July 2025. In 2026, we reach the thirteenth edition, scheduled from July 3 to 5.

Why it's worth the trip

Those looking for an authentic festival in Campania, where the cooking is still done by the festival committee rather than a catering company, will find this to be one of the best spots. Admission is free: you only pay for what you eat. It is also a great opportunity to combine the evening with a day in the Sannio Beneventano, exploring vineyards, hilltop villages, and the historic center of Benevento just a few kilometers away.