Lagane e Ceci Festival

A hillside festival at the gates of Salerno

Rufoli is a small hillside hamlet in the Municipality of Salerno, Campania, overlooking the Irno Valley and accessible from the city center via the scenic road passing through Giovi and Piegolelle. For six nights in July, the village transforms: the narrow streets fill with tables, food stalls open around 8:00 PM, and Piazza San Michele becomes the heart of one of the most popular festivals in the Province of Salerno.

The signature dish: lagane and chickpeas in a terracotta pot

Lagane are a traditional, hand-rolled pasta, wide and rustic, a direct descendant of the ancient laganae of Mediterranean cuisine. In Rufoli, they are served with chickpeas slow-cooked over an open flame in a thick, creamy sauce, all inside a characteristic terracotta pot that visitors can take home as a souvenir. It is a humble, identity-rich dish that tells the story of Salernitan peasant cuisine far better than any tourist brochure.

Founded in 1990 to bring San Michele back to the village

The history of the festival began in 1990, when a group from the parish community organized a feast to raise funds to replace the statue of Saint Michael the Archangel, which had been stolen shortly before. Once the goal was reached, the event did not stop; it continued with charitable aims. The committee grew into the San Michele Association, which today brings together about 130 volunteers and members. They are the ones who knead, cook, and serve for six nights in a row.

What to eat beyond the lagane

The festival menu is a small catalog of local gastronomy. Alongside the signature dish, you will find:

• Frionzola, pork with peppers and bread;
• Mulignane allardate and breaded, roasted, or oil-preserved eggplants;
• sandwiches stuffed with 'meveza 'mbuttunata (spleen), sausage, prosciutto, or capocollo;
• grilled meat, french fries, broccoli, and pizzelle di sciurilli;
• classic fried zeppole and local red wine.

For several editions now, the organizers have added stalls dedicated to gluten-free and lactose-free versions, ensuring that even those with intolerances can enjoy the traditional pot.

Live music every night

The festival is more than just a banquet: every evening features a concert. The program alternates between reggae, Southern folk music, singer-songwriters, comedy, DJ sets, and hip hop, with roaming performers and street artists animating the alleys while you eat. The 2026 edition, the 34th, brought names like Valerio Jovine, I MusicaStoria, Dadà, and Tonico 70 to Rufoli, closing on July 22nd with a grand finale in the square.

Why it's worth the trip

In a Campanian summer crowded with events, the Lagane e Ceci Festival remains a true village feast: run by volunteers, tied to a parish and a specific dish, with affordable prices and an audience that arrives from all over the Irno Valley and the Amalfi Coast. Those visiting Salerno in July can easily combine an evening in Rufoli with a discovery of the historic center, the Cathedral, and the seafront, heading up to the hills just in time for the sunset over the gulf.