Il Pennello d'Oro
Figurative arts festival and plein-air painting competition in the village of murals
About Il Pennello d'Oro
A village that paints itself
Perched at an altitude of 575 meters among the hills of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, Piano Vetrale is a hamlet of the Municipality of Orria, in the Province of Salerno, Campania. With only a few hundred inhabitants, its narrow alleys, arches, and courtyards reveal why it is famously called the 'village of murals.' Since the late 1970s, the facades of public and private homes have been made available to artists, turning the village into an open-air museum featuring hundreds of works depicting rural life, fairy-tale figures, the era of emigration, and zodiac symbols.
The driving force behind this transformation is Il Pennello d'Oro: an art festival founded in 1978 by the cultural circle named after Paolo De Matteis. De Matteis, a great master of the Neapolitan Baroque school and a student of Luca Giordano alongside Francesco Solimena, was born in Piano Vetrale in 1662. The event was created to restore an artistic identity to the village—a goal it has achieved so thoroughly that it has changed the very face of the town, wall by wall.
What to see and do
Il Pennello d'Oro is more than just an exhibition. It is a multi-disciplinary figurative arts festival featuring several concurrent sections:
- Plein-air painting competition: artists paint live, outdoors, using the village itself as both their subject and studio;
- Collective exhibitions of painting, sculpture, and photography hosted throughout the historic center;
- Mural competition, the historical soul of the event, which has continuously enriched the village's painted heritage over the years;
- Musical evenings in the squares, accompanying the artists' work late into the night;
- Awards ceremony, a solemn and deeply felt moment for the community that concludes the festival.
The competition is open to both professionals and enthusiasts; the organizers invite all styles and forms of pictorial communication that can enhance and tell the story of the local area.
Organizers
The event is managed by the Pro Loco "Paolo De Matteis", the direct successor to the cultural circle founded in the early 1980s, currently led by Carmelo Infante. The Pro Loco works in tandem with the "Fiaba in Borgo" association to coordinate the entire summer program in Piano Vetrale, which, alongside Il Pennello d'Oro, includes the "Estate Libro" literary festival, local tournaments, the "Canta Cilento" singing competition, and the "Paolo De Matteis International Prize" at the end of August.
The Atmosphere
Visitors arriving in August find a village where the line between art and daily life blurs: competitors set up their easels in front of existing murals, local ladies chat from their windows, and children watch the painters at work. There is no stiff gallery formality here, but rather a genuine familiarity with art and the hospitality that has always defined Piano Vetrale. It is a unique, distinctly Cilento-style way of experiencing contemporary art: unfiltered, outdoors, and deeply embedded within the community.
Why it's worth the trip
Il Pennello d'Oro is one of the longest-running art festivals in the Cilento hinterland and one of the few instances in Italy where a painting competition has literally shaped the urban landscape of a village. A visit naturally combines well with a walk through the murals, a stop at the Church of Santa Sofia, and trips to the nearby villages of Orria and Salento, in a Salerno hinterland that remains pleasantly cool in summer compared to the Cilento coast.
Il Pennello d'Oro — edition 2026
Il Pennello d'Oro 2026: 'Moments of Lived Life'
The festival returns to Piano Vetrale, a hamlet of the Municipality of Orria (Salerno, Campania), for its 48th edition on August 7-8, 2026. The theme chosen by the Pro Loco 'Paolo De Matteis' is 'Moments of Lived Life': an invitation to transform memory and daily life into living art, in a village where painting already inhabits the walls.
President Carmelo Infante noted that the invitation is open to all artists, all styles, and all forms of pictorial communication capable of enhancing and telling the story of the territory; professionals and amateurs compete side by side.
The two days begin early, at 8:00 AM, when the historic center fills with easels; they continue with collective painting, sculpture, and photography exhibitions and musical evenings, concluding on August 8 with the awards ceremony. The first prize is 300 euros. For information and registration, scan the QR code on the official flyer.
The event is part of the summer program in Piano Vetrale curated by the Pro Loco 'Paolo De Matteis' together with the 'Fiaba in Borgo' association, which between July and August 2026 also offers the 'Estate Libro' literary festival, local tournaments, 'Waiting for Ferragosto', the 'Canta Cilento' singing competition on August 19, and the 'Paolo De Matteis International Prize' on August 28.
Programme Il Pennello d'Oro 2026
Friday, August 7, 2026
- From 8:00 AM — Historic center of Piano Vetrale: opening of the plein-air painting competition, artists paint live among alleys, arches, and murals.
- Throughout the day — Collective exhibitions of painting, sculpture, and photography set up in the village spaces.
- Around 9:30 PM — Musical evening in the historic center.
Saturday, August 8, 2026
- From 8:00 AM — Second day of plein-air painting and continuation of exhibitions.
- In the evening — Solemn awards ceremony accompanied by music: local sources indicate the start between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM.
- First prize — 300 euros.
Theme of the edition
'Moments of Lived Life'. Registration and information via the QR code on the official Pro Loco 'Paolo De Matteis' flyer.
Note: The general calendar of the Municipality of Orria suggests late July as the typical period for the festival; the dates of August 7-8, 2026, are those confirmed by the Pro Loco and local press in July 2026.
Highlights Il Pennello d'Oro 2026
- 48th edition of a festival founded in 1978, one of the longest-running in the Cilento hinterland.
- Plein-air painting competition live in the historic center, starting at 8:00 AM.
- 2026 Theme: 'Moments of Lived Life'.
- Collective exhibitions of painting, sculpture, and photography, plus the tradition of murals.
- Musical evenings and awards ceremony on August 8.
- The painted village: hundreds of murals can be visited for free all year round.
Prices Il Pennello d'Oro 2026
Practical information — Il Pennello d'Oro
Location
Historic center of Piano Vetrale, hamlet of the Municipality of Orria (SA), Campania. Activities take place outdoors along the alleys, in the squares, and throughout the village spaces.
How to get there
By car: take the Vallo della Lucania / Omignano exit from the SS18 Tirrena Inferiore, then follow provincial roads towards Orria and Piano Vetrale. The village is about 2.5 km from the municipal seat of Orria and about twenty minutes from Vallo della Lucania.
By train: Vallo della Lucania-Castelnuovo station on the Tyrrhenian line, then local bus or taxi.
By plane: Salerno-Costa d'Amalfi or Naples-Capodichino airports, both connected via the A2/A3 motorway and SS18.
Parking
The historic center consists of narrow alleys: it is best to leave your car in the designated spaces at the entrance to the village and continue on foot.
Admission and participation
Access to the festival, exhibitions, and musical evenings is free. Registration is required to compete in the plein-air painting competition; information can be found on the official flyer distributed by the Pro Loco.
Tips
Wear comfortable shoes for the uphill alleys and allow extra time for a full tour of the murals—they are the village's true permanent collection. For accommodation, there are agritourisms and B&Bs in the Cilento hinterland between Orria, Salento, Perito, and Vallo della Lucania; the coast (Ascea, Casal Velino, Acciaroli) is about half an hour away.
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Where does it take place — Il Pennello d'Oro
Centro storico di Piano Vetrale