Jovinelli Festival

The Jovinelli Festival, the cultural heart of Caiazzo

Every summer, in the historic centre of Caiazzo, a charming town in the Upper Caserta region overlooking the Volturno Valley, the Jovinelli Festival returns. For years, this event has ignited the spirit of the local community with evenings dedicated to theatre, book launches, and appearances by major Italian performers. The natural stage is the picturesque Piazza Santo Stefano Menicillo, which, for a few nights, becomes an open-air theatre in the town's finest living room, located in the province of Caserta, Campania.

A tribute to Giuseppe Jovinelli

The festival was founded in 1997 to pay homage to Giuseppe Jovinelli, a celebrated theatrical impresario from Caiazzo and a legendary figure in Italian popular theatre between the 19th and 20th centuries. After a brief hiatus, the event resumed in 2003 and has continued almost uninterrupted, becoming a staple of the Caiazzo summer calendar. This bond of heritage and memory remains strong today: it is in Caiazzo that the volume dedicated to the history of Giuseppe and Graziano Jovinelli, written by a descendant of the family, is presented.

Three nights of laughter, reflection, and literature

The festival's format blends various artistic languages: Neapolitan comedy and brilliant theatre, author-led monologues, the humour of television stars, and book presentations hosted in the Town Hall's Council Chamber. Each edition alternates evening performances in the square with cultural meetings, in a programme designed to engage the entire community.

• Evening theatrical and comedy performances in Piazza Santo Stefano Menicillo
• Book presentations and meet-the-author sessions
• Events dedicated to young people and local theatre workshops

The Jovinelli Award

The symbolic heart of the event is the Jovinelli Award, a recognition bestowed annually upon an artist who has distinguished themselves in the Italian entertainment landscape. Over the years, the award has brought actors, comedians, and theatre professionals to Caiazzo, transforming a small local festival into a cultural showcase of interest for the entire province of Caserta.

A festival for the whole community

Organised under the patronage of the Municipality of Caiazzo, the Jovinelli Festival is free to attend: a way to return a space of shared culture to the citizens and to celebrate the identity of a village that gave birth to one of the most important names in Italian popular theatre.