May of Art
Guided tours and special openings in the historic center of Nola
About May of Art
A month to rediscover hidden Nola
May of Art is neither a food festival nor a performance festival: it is a traveling calendar of guided tours and special openings curated each year by the Pro Loco of Nola to draw attention to monuments, churches, museums, and sections of fortifications that risk, as president Giuseppe Bianco noted, "vanishing from collective memory." The scope covers the municipality of Nola, in the province of Naples, in the heart of the Campanian plain that rises from Mount Vesuvius toward the Partenio mountains and the Vallo di Lauro valley.
A city of art off the beaten tourist path
Nola is one of the oldest cities in Campania: the homeland of Saint Paulinus, a bishopric for centuries, and home to the UNESCO-recognized Festa dei Gigli. Yet its daily heritage—the cloisters, noble palaces, and archaeological collections documenting pre-Roman and Roman Nola—remains largely outside mainstream tourist circuits. This is precisely where May of Art operates: bringing citizens, even before visitors, into places that are usually closed or accessible only by appointment.
What to visit
- The Santa Chiara convent, opened for special occasions and presented by the Cultural Heritage Office of the Diocese of Nola.
- The Historical Archaeological Museum of Nola and the Diocesan Museum, key participants in the Night of Museums.
- The ancient city fortifications, explored on foot along a route that crosses the historic center and ends in Parco Mastrilli, which has been redeveloped and returned to the city with a new multipurpose center.
- The monumental complexes of the Nola area, from the Santa Maria Assunta in Pernosano, a hamlet of Pago del Vallo di Lauro, to the Early Christian Basilicas of Cimitile.
Beyond tours: theater, music, and community
Alongside the openings, the program hosts theatrical performances in Parco Mastrilli, flash mobs and concerts by students from the ISIS Albertini music high school, previews of the Festa della Musica, urban trekking, and treasure hunts for families. The festival is built in partnership with local entities such as the Meridies association, the Festa dei Folli, Slow Food Nola, local theater companies, and schools, and has received support from the Campania Region and the Municipality of Nola.
Edition after edition
In 2025, the event reached its tenth edition, extending well beyond May: appointments continued into June, coinciding with the Festa dei Gigli, and concluded in July with open-air cinema. The 2026 edition, however, opted for a more focused and thematic approach, "among convents, museums, and ancient fortifications," favoring small-group tours led by scholars and local experts.
Why it's worth the trip
Visitors from outside will find a rare formula here: authentic heritage, not packaged for mass tourism, explained by those who study and preserve it, in a city easily reached from Naples. Tours are often in small groups, the atmosphere is that of a community rediscovering itself, and just a short distance away lie the Early Christian Basilicas of Cimitile and the hills of the Vallo di Lauro.
May of Art — edition 2026
May of Art 2026: Nola's hidden treasures
The 2026 calendar opened on Sunday, May 10 with a special visit to the Santa Chiara convent, in two morning shifts led by Tonia Solpietro, director of the Cultural Heritage Office of the Diocese of Nola. On Sunday, May 17, for the National Castle Day, a walking itinerary crossed the historic center in search of the ancient city fortifications, ending in the renovated Parco Mastrilli; that same week, the festival joined the Night of Museums with the special opening of the Historical Archaeological Museum and the Diocesan Museum.
In synergy with the Meridies association, on Saturday, May 23, two evening shifts of the "The Sign of Vaccaro" itinerary were offered. On Saturday, May 30, the exceptional opening of the Santa Maria Assunta Complex in Pernosano, a hamlet of Pago del Vallo di Lauro, featured a visit dedicated to the theme "In the footsteps of the Holy Bishops of Nola – Paulinus between art, faith, and culture." On Sunday, May 31, Parco Mastrilli hosted the Il Dialogo Theater Company with "Le bugie con le gambe lunghe" by Eduardo De Filippo, while on June 6, the preview of the Festa della Musica with students from the ISIS Albertini music high school closed the route through the historic center.
Programme May of Art 2026
2026 Program
- Sunday, May 10, 10:30 AM and 11:30 AM — Special visit to the Santa Chiara convent, with Tonia Solpietro (Cultural Heritage Office of the Diocese of Nola).
- Sunday, May 17, 10:00 AM — National Castle Day: itinerary in the historic center discovering the ancient fortifications, ending at Parco Mastrilli.
- Night of Museums — Special evening opening of the Historical Archaeological Museum of Nola and the Diocesan Museum.
- Saturday, May 23, 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM — "The Sign of Vaccaro" itinerary, two tour shifts in collaboration with the Meridies association.
- Saturday, May 30, 8:00 PM — Exceptional opening of the Santa Maria Assunta Complex in Pernosano (Pago del Vallo di Lauro): "In the footsteps of the Holy Bishops of Nola – Paulinus between art, faith, and culture."
- Sunday, May 31, 8:00 PM — Parco Mastrilli: "Le bugie con le gambe lunghe" by Eduardo De Filippo, Il Dialogo Theater Company.
- Saturday, June 6, 7:30 PM — Preview of the Festa della Musica in the historic center, with students from the ISIS Albertini music high school.
Highlights May of Art 2026
- The Santa Chiara convent opened for a special occasion and presented by the Diocesan Cultural Heritage Office.
- The hunt for Nola's ancient fortifications on National Castle Day.
- The Night of Museums at the Historical Archaeological Museum and the Diocesan Museum.
- The evening in Pernosano, at the Santa Maria Assunta Complex, in the footsteps of Saint Paulinus.
- Eduardo De Filippo outdoors, in the Parco Mastrilli returned to the city.
Prices May of Art 2026
Practical information — May of Art
How to get there
Nola is located about 30 km from Naples. By car: A16 Naples-Canosa, Nola exit, or A30 Caserta-Salerno motorway. By train: the Circumvesuviana (EAV) Naples-Baiano line stops in Nola, while the Nola-Interporto station is served by the Naples-Benevento line. The historic center is best explored on foot.
Reservations and information
Guided tours and special openings have limited capacity: it is advisable to contact the Pro Loco of Nola in advance, located at Corso Tommaso Vitale 9, phone +39 081 5124901, or follow updates on the website proloconola.com and the ProlocoNola Facebook page.
Tips
Wear comfortable shoes for walking paths between the fortifications and Parco Mastrilli. Many events take place in the evening with specific meeting times: please arrive a few minutes early. Nola is an excellent base for a broader day trip, with the Early Christian Basilicas of Cimitile just a few kilometers away.
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Where does it take place — May of Art
Centro storico di Nola
Corso Tommaso Vitale 9, 80035 Nola