Gusto Italia in Tour in Villammare

Gusto Italia in Tour in Villammare: the traveling 'Made in Italy' fair

Gusto Italia in Tour is the traveling food, wine, and Italian crafts fair that tours the southern coast every summer. For several years, it has made a stop on the Villammare seafront, the coastal hamlet of the municipality of Vibonati, in the province of Salerno, at the southern tip of Campania. For a few days, the seaside promenade fills with white gazebos, producers' stalls, and artisan workshops: a market-event that can be visited freely, without a ticket, during the cooler hours of the day.

A journey of taste along the seaside promenade

The formula is simple and proven: stalls are set up along the seafront and remain open every day from 5 PM until midnight, with free admission. You can stroll between the exhibitors' stands, sample products, and chat directly with the producers. This is the hallmark of the event: not just a simple street food area, but an encounter between visitors and small-scale producers, many of whom arrive from different regions to share their supply chain and their territory.

The flavors: from Cilento excellence to products from all over Italy

The tasting path showcases specialties from half the peninsula. Among the offerings most frequently found along the stands:

• artisanal cured meats and cheeses, from Campania products to those from Calabria and Basilicata;
• Giffoni PGI hazelnuts and dried fruit-based sweets;
• taralli, bread, and baked goods from the southern tradition;
• extra virgin olive oil, preserves, jams, and honey;
• regional wines and liqueurs, with dedicated tasting counters;
• fresh pasta, mozzarella, and local dairy products.

Artisanal quality is the selection criterion: these are almost always small or medium-sized businesses, often family-run, which can sell directly to the public here without intermediaries.

Artistic crafts and artisan trades

Alongside food, Gusto Italia reserves an important space for artistic and traditional crafts: hand-painted ceramics, leather goods from Solofra, handmade jewelry and trinkets, textiles, and natural cosmetic products based on aloe. These are crafts that tell the story of an Italy of workshops that is still alive, and which can be observed up close and purchased directly from those who create them here.

Shows and entertainment for families

The fair is not just about shopping. Every evening, the seafront hosts entertainment designed for all ages: the National Puppet Theater of master Mauro Apicella offers daily shows of Pulcinella and puppets, a Neapolitan popular tradition that entertains children and restores a piece of collective memory to adults. The calendar is completed with evenings of live folk music and roaming entertainment along the exhibition path.

Villammare, Cilento, and the sea of Campania

Villammare is the seaside area of Vibonati, a small town in the Gulf of Policastro overlooking lower Cilento, within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. Its beach is among the most awarded in Campania — the coastline has historically been awarded the Blue Flag — and in summer, the town's population multiplies. Gusto Italia is part of a particularly rich summer program: during the same period, the historic center of Vibonati hosts «Rioni in Festa», while the season continues with open-air cinemas under the stars, literary meetings, and the Villammare Film Festival.

Who organizes it

The event is curated by the Associazione Italia Eventi, chaired by Giuseppe Lupo, which builds a calendar of stops between Campania, Basilicata, and Lazio every year: in the Cilento summer, Villammare is one of the most anticipated stops. The initiative takes place with the patronage of local and trade bodies, including the Chamber of Commerce of Salerno, CNA Salerno, UNOE, and local Cilento entities.