Notti di Incanto – History, Traditions and Folklore in the August Nights

An event born from local storytelling

Notti di Incanto – History, Traditions and Folklore in the August Nights is the summer festival that brings Piazza Umberto I in Monteforte Irpino, in the province of Avellino, to life in the heart of Irpinia. It is neither just a music festival nor a simple food fair: it is a two-evening journey that blends folk culture, live music, and historical re-enactment, with the clear goal of helping locals—and visitors from neighboring towns—rediscover the memory and identity of their territory.

The format follows the tradition of village festivals in inland Campania, where the main square becomes a theater, a dance floor, and a communal dining room. Here, however, the theme is explicit: each evening tells a piece of local history, from the Southern peasant and musical roots to the village's feudal past.

The Night of the Tarantella

The first evening is traditionally dedicated to the Night of the Tarantella, a tribute to the musical traditions of Southern Italy. Frame drums, accordions, dialect songs, and couple dances bring back to the square a repertoire that has never ceased to be practiced in Irpinia: the tarantella montemaranese and its variations, ballads, and work songs. In the 2025 edition, the stage hosted a concert by Pratola Folk, an Irpinian folk music group.

This is the most participatory moment of the festival: the audience doesn't just sit back; they join the circle and dance, following a social code that still defines village festivals in the Campanian Apennines today.

The Middle Ages of Monteforte: “We, Guglielmo, Lord of the Fief”

The second evening changes pace, looking back at the village's feudal past. The re-enactment “Noi, Guglielmo Signore de lo Feudo” (We, Guglielmo, Lord of the Fief) features costumed performers staging the relationship between the Lord of Monteforte and his vassals, drawing on the same historical material that underpins the Palium Sancti Martini, the local medieval joust. The Sbandieratori e Musici Città Regia di Cava de' Tirreni, one of the most renowned flag-waving groups in Campania, perform in the square alongside the Palium Sancti Martini group.

The result is a spectacle that combines a historical pageant, drum and trumpet music, flag-waving displays, and theatrical reconstruction: a way to tell the story of the castle that dominates the town, which remains its most recognizable symbol.

Monteforte through the eyes of its photographers

Both evenings are accompanied by the photographic projection “Monteforte, un paese da scoprire” (Monteforte, a village to discover), by Irpinian-born photographer Ilaria Feoli. The images scroll across the background of the square, revealing glimpses, faces, and details of the village that are often missed by those passing through in a hurry.

The flavors of Irpinia in the square

As in any Monteforte festival, the culinary aspect is not just a side dish. The stalls set up along the square offer traditional Irpinian dishes, in a territory that is among the richest in Campania for protected products: here you can find the great wines of Irpinia—Taurasi, Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo—the hazelnut, for which Monteforte Irpino is a recognized producer, mountain cheeses, fresh handmade pasta, and cured meats from the Apennines.

• Live folk music with local groups
• Medieval historical re-enactment with flag-wavers and performers
• Photographic projections dedicated to the village
• Food stalls with Irpinian specialties

Where: Monteforte Irpino, gateway to Irpinia

Monteforte Irpino is a town of just over ten thousand inhabitants in the province of Avellino, in Campania, nestled at about 500 meters above sea level on the slopes of the Partenio mountains. It is the first town you encounter when descending from the mountain pass that separates the plains of Naples from the Avellino basin: a border position that, since the Middle Ages, made it a strategic checkpoint, guarded by the castle whose ruins still stand today.

The Monteforte calendar revolves around several key events—the Palium Sancti Martini in June, L'Estate di San Martino in November around the patron saint's feast, and, of course, Notti di Incanto at the end of August.

When to go

The event takes place in the last weeks of August, when Irpinia experiences its most intense month of festivals and the mountain evenings finally become cool. In 2025, Notti di Incanto was held on August 23rd and 24th; for 2026, the dates have not yet been officially announced.