Inno al Novello Festival

A night of new wine in the village of Cicuta

Inno al Novello is the festival that, every year in November, brings life back to the stones of Borgo Cicuta, the medieval core of Mignano Monte Lungo, a town in the Upper Caserta area on the border between Campania, Lazio, and Molise. The event takes place during the Saint Martin period, when according to farming tradition, 'every must becomes wine': it is the moment when the novello, fresh, fruity, and young, arrives on local tables. The formula is simple and has never changed: a culinary journey that winds through the alleys, arches, and courtyards of the village, from evening until late at night.

The culinary journey

Along Corso Umberto, Via Merli, and Via Fontanelle, the Pro Loco sets up a series of food stations dedicated to the rustic cuisine of the Caserta hinterland. The dishes found from edition to edition tell the story of the Apennine autumn:

• chickpeas and mushrooms and pasta and beans, the great classics of mountain cuisine;
• pecora pezzata (stewed sheep), a historic dish of local pastoral tradition;
• sausage and broccoli and frittatas cooked on the spot;
• fried pizzas and bruschetta with new oil and crushed olives;
• roasted chestnuts and homemade desserts prepared by local families.

The common thread, however, remains the wine: local small-scale wineries provide the novello, which volunteers distribute free of charge to participants until supplies run out. No tickets, no coupons: it is this generosity, combined with the quality of the products, that has made the event a unique case among the festivals in the province of Caserta.

Folk music in the alleys

The soundtrack is provided by roaming folk music groups that move from one small square to another, and especially by the accordions and organettos of the central-southern Italian tradition: tarantellas, ballads, and dance songs that keep the party alive until the first light of dawn. In recent editions, musical accompaniment has also been provided by masters and students of local accordion schools. Braziers and fires lit along the route complete the village's nocturnal atmosphere.

A 'Quality' recognized festival

On March 16, 2026, in the Zuccari Hall of the Senate of the Republic, UNPLI (National Union of Pro Loco of Italy) awarded Inno al Novello the 'Quality Festival' (Sagra di Qualità) mark, the recognition reserved for events that authentically represent the identity of their territory. For the Pro Loco of Mignano Monte Lungo, this is the culmination of a twenty-year journey and confirmation that the festival will continue to grow. The appeal, moreover, is already widely supra-municipal: recent editions have exceeded 3,000 participants, arriving from all over Campania and neighboring regions, with dozens of camper crews hosted in the town's parking areas.

Mignano Monte Lungo, a village to discover

With just over 3,000 inhabitants at an altitude of 137 meters, Mignano Monte Lungo is one of the northernmost municipalities in the province of Caserta, in Campania, overlooking the road that connects the Volturno plain to lower Lazio. The historic center preserves the medieval castle, linked to the Fieramosca family and the site of the 1139 peace between Roger II of Sicily and Pope Innocent II, the 16th-century church of Santa Maria la Grande, and Porta Fratte, the last survivor of the ancient city gates. The town's name also recalls the fierce battles of December 1943 on the Reinhard Line, which left the territory with a strong identity linked to places of memory.

Who organizes it

Behind Inno al Novello is the 'Insieme per Mignano' Pro Loco, an association established in 2006 and driven by dozens of volunteers, who manage both the kitchen and the welcoming of visitors. The organization works every year in collaboration with the Municipality of Mignano Monte Lungo, the Italian Red Cross, the Civil Protection of neighboring towns, and the municipal police to ensure the safety of an evening that brings thousands of people to the village.