Liveri Meatball DE.CO. Festival

A festival born from a family recipe

Some towns define themselves through a single dish, and Liveri is one of them. With just over 1,400 inhabitants, nestled on the border between the Metropolitan City of Naples and the province of Avellino, this small Campanian town has transformed its meatball—a staple on local festive tables for generations—into a public event. Thus, the Liveri Meatball DE.CO. Festival was born, with its first edition held on July 10th and 11th, 2026, in Piazzale Autilia Scala, the square facing the Sanctuary of Santa Maria a Parete.

The initiative was conceived by Pietro Nappi, president of the Polpetta De.Co. association, and promoted by the municipal administration led by Mayor Raffaele Coppola, with the support of the Metropolitan City of Naples, the Youth Forum, and the Pro Loco of Liveri.

What is the Liveri meatball?

The Liveri meatball is no ordinary meatball. The recipe, guarded by local families and passed down orally, combines meat, bread, eggs, raisins, and pine nuts: a sweet-and-savory blend typical of certain traditional Campanian cuisines, where the result depends entirely on the proportions and the skill of the cook.

Since 2024, the Municipality has been pursuing DE.CO. recognition (Municipal Denomination): a label that, while not a European certification, serves as an official act by the administration to attest to the deep bond between a product and its territory. A committee of experts, working alongside keepers of the historical recipe and university professors, codified the production standards. The festival is the natural public culmination of this journey.

The program of the first edition

Two evenings, both starting at 8:30 PM, built around food stalls and a menu entirely dedicated to meatballs, accompanied by other local specialties at affordable prices. Over 40 volunteers worked in the kitchens and service areas.

• Friday, July 10th - Performance by the group Terra ca sona, featuring tammorre, bottari, and traditional Neapolitan folk songs.
• Saturday, July 11th - Concert by Palasport, the official Pooh tribute band.
• Both evenings - Baby parking area in the nearby Parco degli Ulivi, with inflatables, games, magic and clown shows, baby dance, face painting, and qualified entertainers provided by the Yuppies Eventi agency.

The Sanctuary of Santa Maria a Parete

The setting is a major part of the event's charm. The Sanctuary of Santa Maria a Parete is the devotional heart of Liveri and a landmark for the entire Nola area. A destination for annual pilgrimages, it has also become known to the general public as a filming location for the television series Mare Fuori. The festival was born in honor of the Virgin of Parete and is part of a calendar of initiatives that have recently linked the sanctuary to gastronomic promotion: the Liveri meatball was also a key feature of the Nolano-Vesuviano: Itinerari di Fede e di Gusto project, involving the towns of Liveri, Marigliano, Cimitile, Visciano, and Massa di Somma.

A community celebration

Beyond the numbers, the most striking aspect of the first edition was the participation: residents, curious visitors from neighboring towns, and passersby filled the square on both nights. Mayor Coppola summarized the event's goal as a desire to transform ancient traditions into opportunities for growth, valuing the town's roots and fostering tourism in the food, wine, and hospitality sectors.

For a town of this size in Campania, a well-organized festival is often the only available showcase: the stated goal here is to make it a fixed annual appointment at the beginning of July.

When to go

The event takes place during the second week of July, in the evening—the best time to enjoy the square when the heat of the Nola plains subsides. As this is a new event, it is advisable to check the dates for the next edition on the official channels of the Municipality of Liveri and the Polpetta De.Co. association before traveling.