La Taratella Festival (Handmade La Taratella)

La Taratella, the pasta treasure of Valva

Every summer, the small town of Valva, in the Upper Sele Valley in the province of Salerno, dedicates three days of festivities to taratella: a handmade egg pasta found only here, which has given its name to the festival. The dough, prepared with flour from the Upper Sele area, is worked and rolled with a wooden tool similar to a small grooved rolling pin, called taratedda in the local dialect, until it reaches an elongated shape that perfectly holds the sauce, which is traditionally simple. The recipe, guarded from generation to generation by the local grandmothers, is now recognized as one of the traditional products of the Campania region and can be tasted almost exclusively in Valva.

It is said that the origin of this pasta shape is from Taranto and that the taratella arrived here towards the end of the 19th century, brought by those who had come to the village to work at the court of the Marquis d'Ayala. Since then, it has become the community's signature dish, a staple for all important occasions.

The former S.M.O.M. cellars, a unique setting

The festival takes place in the former cellars of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (S.M.O.M.), in the heart of the Norman-origin village, just a stone's throw from the monumental Villa d'Ayala-Valva. The villa spans approximately seventeen hectares entirely enclosed by walls and is accessed from Piazza del Calvario through a large iron gate set into a Norman-style crenellated tower. The last marquis who lived there, Giuseppe d'Ayala, left the entire estate to the Order of Malta upon his death in 1951 in the absence of heirs: hence the name of the cellars that now host the festival. It is rare to find a village festival in Campania with such a scenic backdrop.

Tastings, crafts, and markets

The evening program revolves around the tasting of taratella and other specialties of the Upper Sele Valley, but it goes beyond just the food. In past editions, the event has featured:

• live pasta-making demonstrations, with local women working the dough in front of the public;
• the Mercatino delle Idee (Market of Ideas), with stalls featuring local crafts and creations;
• musical performances and evening entertainment;
• tours of the village's historic center and the Villa Reale d'Ayala-Valva.

A festival that brings back emigrants

The festival is much more than a gastronomic event: it is the moment when the village reunites. The 26th edition, held from August 10 to 12, 2024, brought over three thousand visitors to Valva, with a significant presence of emigrants returning to the village for the occasion. The president of the Pro Loco, Davide Forlenza, summarized the spirit of the event: by promoting local food excellence, we create culture and tourism, and the bond between grandmothers and young people is the true key to success. Institutional representatives from the Province of Salerno also attended the evenings.

Valva and the Upper Sele Valley

Valva has just over 1,500 inhabitants and is located at an altitude of about 510 meters, on the left side of the Lucanian Apennines, in the upper valley of the Sele River. It is a border territory between Campania and Basilicata, made of forests, springs, and clustered villages, still little touched by mass tourism: the festival is the best opportunity to discover it, combining fine dining with a visit to the villa's historic park.

Organizers

The event is managed by the Pro Loco D'Ayala Valva with the patronage of the Municipality of Valva and UNPLI Salerno. Dates and programs for each edition are announced on the association's social media channels, usually in the weeks leading up to Ferragosto (August 15th).