Laticaundo - Laticauda Lamb and Pecorino Festival

Laticaundo, the festival that tells the story of a sheep and its land

In Casalbore, a village of just over 1,500 inhabitants nestled at an altitude of 600 meters in northern Irpinia, the historic center fills with the scents of charcoal grills, aged cheese, and wine every August. Laticaundo - Laticauda Lamb and Pecorino Festival is the event organized by the Municipality of Casalbore together with Acli Terra Avellino and the Circolo Acli Casalbore APS to highlight the sheep breed that gives the event its name and everything surrounding it: shepherding, transhumance, cheeses, and home cooking. It is not just another food festival: it is the way a community in the province of Avellino, in Campania, seeks to put what it has done for centuries back at the center of attention.

The Laticauda, a Campanian breed with a wide tail

The name says it all: latus, wide, and cauda, tail. The Laticauda sheep is recognized by its broad, fatty tail, a distinctive trait of a typically Campanian breed, raised semi-wild on the pastures of the Apennines and now protected as a Slow Food Presidium. The lamb and the dairy products derived from it are recognized as Traditional Agri-food Products (PAT) in Campania: a fragile heritage, linked to a small number of breeders, which is why it needs public occasions to be discovered and tasted.

Laticauda pecorino, a treasure of few cheesemakers

In this small Irpinian town, Laticauda pecorino is an ancient tradition, still guarded by a few cheesemakers who produce it in limited quantities. It is a cheese with an intense and bold flavor, featuring prized organoleptic qualities, which can be tasted in its pure form during the festival, guided by Master Tasters, or found in dishes offered by stalls and guest chefs: from pasta seasoned with Laticauda ragù and pecorino foam to lamb preparations cooked according to family recipes.

Three days among squares, alleys, and historic palaces

The event's format has consolidated over time, distributing appointments across the village's iconic locations. In recent editions, the program has included:

• food stalls and tastings of local products along the squares and alleys of the historic center;
• taste workshops and food and wine masterclasses at Palazzo Maraviglia, dedicated to local wine, extra virgin olive oil, cheeses, and craft beers, with limited seating and mandatory reservations;
• show cooking with guest chefs reinterpreting Laticauda lamb and pecorino;
• guided pecorino tastings with Master Tasters;
• arrosticini evenings at the Castle, in the area of the Norman tower;
• live music, craft markets, and children's activities, featuring stories and memories related to transhumance.

A discussion on inland areas and the Miscano Valley

Alongside the convivial aspect, Laticaundo hosts round tables and conferences every year: discussions cover cultural and experiential tourism in the inland areas of Campania, the organization of tourism offerings, and the resilience and development of small towns. These are far from abstract themes in these parts, where depopulation and the lack of essential services are daily issues, and where the Miscano Valley tries to build a shared identity around traditional agriculture, landscape, and gastronomy.

Casalbore, village of the Regio Tratturo

The festival is also an excellent reason to discover Casalbore. The town stands along the Regio Tratturo Pescasseroli-Candela, the ancient transhumance route that shaped the pastoral history of this part of Italy: a detail that makes a festival dedicated to sheep and their cheeses even more coherent. Worth seeing are the Norman tower, which houses the Castle Museum, and the archaeological area with the Italic temple, evidence of the ancient presence on this ridge between Irpinia and Sannio. Furthermore, on August 5th, the village celebrates its patron saint, the Madonna of the Snows.

Why it's worth the trip

Those who come to Laticaundo do not find a manufactured event, but a well-grown village festival: authentic products, generous portions, inland prices, and cool evenings at 600 meters of altitude while the plains are sweltering. It is the ideal formula for a late August trip to Irpinia, perhaps combined with a visit to the wineries of Sannio and the Avellino area, not far from the borders with the province of Benevento and Puglia.