Montefusco Chestnut Festival

An autumn celebration in the heart of Irpinia

When the first mists rise from the Calore Valley and the chestnut groves turn rusty-hued, Montefusco opens the gates of its Villa Comunale for the Chestnut Festival. It is one of the most deep-rooted autumn events in the province of Avellino: a celebration that began as a small village feast and has grown over the years into a major attraction for the entire Irpinia region, drawing visitors from the Sannio, Avellino, and Naples areas.

The village sits at an altitude of about 700 meters, offering panoramic views between Irpinia and Sannio. This setting is part of the charm: you dine outdoors in the crisp October air, with the scent of roasted chestnuts greeting you as you climb toward the historic center.

The chestnut: the star of the table

The heart of the festival lies in the food stalls set up in the Villa Comunale, where the chestnut appears in all its traditional forms: roasted chestnuts cooked over an open fire, dried chestnuts, chestnuts in syrup, and the classic castagnaccio cake. Alongside the chestnut-based dishes, you will find the full repertoire of Irpinian peasant cuisine.

• Bean soup with chestnuts and cotechino, the festival's signature dish
• Caciocavallo impiccato, melted over an open flame and served on crusty bread
• Local grilled meats, sausages, and porchetta
• Polenta with sausage or roast meat
• Montanare (fried pizza dough) and traditional fried snacks
• Chestnut desserts to round off the meal

The local wines are never missing from the glass: Montefusco is part of the production area for Greco di Tufo, one of Southern Italy's most celebrated white wines, and the hills surrounding the village are a mosaic of vineyards and chestnut groves.

Folk music, dancing, and a convivial atmosphere

The festival is about more than just food. Each evening is accompanied by Southern folk music groups, tarantellas, and tammurriate, followed by DJ sets that keep the square buzzing late into the night. It is not uncommon to see people dancing in traditional costumes, with the public directly involved in the festivities—a hallmark of the event, which places great emphasis on folklore and visitor participation.

Discovering the village of Montefusco

Recent editions have added guided tours of the village and surrounding walks to the gastronomic and musical program. Montefusco preserves a compact and well-preserved historic center, dominated by the Bourbon Castle-Prison: an ancient Lombard defensive structure later expanded by the Normans, which was transformed by Ferdinand II of Bourbon in 1851 into a political prison for anti-Bourbon patriots, earning it the nickname "the Spielberg of Irpinia." Visiting the monument, along with the churches and alleys of the center, completes a day at the festival and helps explain why this small town was a key administrative center of the Principato Ultra for centuries.

Who organizes the festival

The event is managed by the Comitato Realtà Giovani in collaboration with the Montefusco Youth Forum, with the support of the Municipality and the provincial tourism promotion network, Sistema Irpinia. It is a festival entirely self-managed by local associations, and this spirit is felt in the atmosphere: affordable prices, table service provided by volunteers, and no excessive commercialization.

When it takes place

The event is traditionally set for the latter part of October, when the chestnut harvest is in full swing. The 35th edition took place in 2025, from Friday, October 24th to Sunday, October 26th; the previous year, the 34th edition was held on October 26th and 27th. Dates for the 2026 edition have not yet been announced by the organizers: it is best to follow the channels of the Montefusco Youth Forum and the Municipality in the weeks leading up to autumn.