Fusillo, Porchetta and Greco di Tufo Festival

A festival that is also a patronal feast

In the heart of the Sabato Valley, at an altitude of 645 meters and just a few kilometers from Avellino, the municipality of Torrioni is home to just over five hundred residents. For three days in July, however, the village transforms: the Fusillo, Porchetta and Greco di Tufo Festival draws thousands of visitors from across Irpinia and the rest of Campania to Piazza San Michele Arcangelo. This is no manufactured event; the gastronomic evenings have always coexisted with the celebrations for the patron saints Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Michael the Archangel, and local sources describe the food festival and the religious feast as a single, unified experience. Visitors to Torrioni will find food stalls, live music, and, on the final day, a solemn procession winding through the village streets.

The handmade fusillo of Torrioni

The undisputed star is the fusillo, a fresh pasta crafted strictly by hand according to an ancient tradition passed down through generations of local women. It is a technical and patient process learned by observation: the dough is rolled around a thin iron rod to create the typical elongated hollow shape that perfectly holds the sauce. In many Torrioni families, preparing fusilli for the festival is a collective effort, involving multiple generations in the days leading up to the opening of the stalls.

Porchetta, caciocavallo and Greco di Tufo DOCG

Alongside the fusilli, the menu at the food stalls features traditional Irpinian and Campanian specialties: porchetta, caciocavallo impiccato (grilled hanging cheese), various roasts, and montanare, the classic fried mini-pizzas. The wine of choice is Greco di Tufo DOCG, the great white wine of Irpinia produced in a small area around Tufo, just a stone's throw from Torrioni. It is a wine with character—mineral and savory—which here is not just a commercial addition but a true local staple. The festival thus serves as a showcase for a wine district that, alongside Fiano di Avellino and Taurasi, has made Irpinia one of Italy's most renowned white wine regions.

Folk music, bands and the Youth Forum

Each evening features a concert in the square. The formula relies on folk music groups, cover bands, and dance orchestras that have accompanied the festival for years, with repertoires ranging from Neapolitan songs to hits from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. In parallel, the Youth Forum Space enlivens the village with DJ sets dedicated to younger audiences, while the final day opens with the arrival of the Pannarano Band, which parades through the village streets in a ritual typical of Southern patronal feasts. At night, as tradition dictates, the lottery drawing takes place.

What to expect

• Atmosphere: authentic and family-friendly, without tourist artifice; you eat at tables in the square, nestled between the alleys and balconies of the historic center.
• Audience: families, groups of friends, and many locals returning home for the village feast.
• Religious aspect: the Sunday procession is an integral part of the event, not an afterthought.
• Products: handmade fusilli, porchetta, grilled caciocavallo, montanare, Greco di Tufo DOCG.

Torrioni and the surrounding Irpinia

Torrioni belongs to the Province of Avellino, in Campania, and is located in a hilly area of small villages and vineyards. The town, including the hamlets of Guardie and Casale Bosco, is dominated by the church dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel. Within a few kilometers, you can visit Tufo and its historic wineries, Altavilla Irpina, Petruro Irpino, and Pietradefusi: a short itinerary that, combined with the festival, makes for a perfect weekend getaway. For those arriving from Naples or Benevento, the Fusillo Festival is one of the most direct ways to understand how inland Irpinia harmoniously blends devotion, cuisine, and wine.