Oil, Wine and Fantasy

A winter festival in the heart of the Calore Valley

Oil, Wine and Fantasy is the annual event that, during the final days of December, transforms the historic center of Castel San Lorenzo (Salerno, Campania) into a grand trail of flavors. Perched above the Calore Valley at the foot of the Alburni mountains and the gateway to the Cilento region, the village celebrates the two products that best define its agricultural identity: freshly pressed extra virgin olive oil and Castellese wine, complemented by the "fantasy" of music, crafts, and conviviality that gives the festival its name.

Organized by the Pro Loco of Castel San Lorenzo in collaboration with the local municipality and associations, the event has established itself as one of the most popular winter gatherings in the area. Documented editions have taken place annually since at least 2019, consistently held between Christmas and New Year's, when the village fills with visitors and locals returning home for the holidays.

The culinary trail

The heart of the event is a tasting itinerary connecting Piazza Sabetta to Piazza Umberto I, winding through the alleys and stairways of the historic center. Along the route, visitors encounter stalls from local farms and producers, offering traditional products paired with regional wine. This is more than just a fair: the village squares become stops on a continuous stroll, illuminated by festive lights and warmed by bonfires lit along the path.

• New extra virgin olive oil, the absolute star of the festival, offered for tasting by mills and producers from the Calore Valley
• Local wine, the soul of the Castellese winemaking tradition
• Peasant-style dishes prepared at the village's gastronomic stalls
• Christmas sweets and baked goods, ranging from artisanal nougat to traditional pastries

Workshops, crafts, and guided tours

Beyond the gastronomy, Oil, Wine and Fantasy opens the doors to the village's artisanal workshops. In recent editions, visitors have been able to watch the production of nougat, the preparation of traditional sweets and scazzatielli (fresh local pasta), as well as demonstrations of embroidery and the creation of votive candles. The program also includes theatrical walking tours through the historic center, visiting iconic landmarks such as Palazzo Vigna della Corte, the local churches, and the Carafa Castle, from which Castel San Lorenzo takes its name.

Folk music and dance

The soundtrack of the festival is the folk music of the Cilento and Salerno regions: tarantellas, tammurriatas, and group dances that animate the squares until late at night. Recent editions have featured local folk groups such as Nova Felix and Vietriaterra, while the closing evenings are traditionally reserved for a grand finale in the square, with the public dancing alongside the stalls.

An event dedicated to village promotion

Oil, Wine and Fantasy is more than just a food festival: the Municipality of Castel San Lorenzo, led by Mayor Giuseppe Scorza, has used this name for a tourism promotion project—a tour through the culture and gastronomy of the village—involving the Pro Loco, the Nova Pro Loco, and other local associations as partners. The late December festival is also part of a broader Christmas calendar, which in recent years has included the "Ci vediamo a Castello" initiative, dedicated to roots tourism and the return of locals who have emigrated to other parts of Italy and the world.

Why visit

Those arriving in Castel San Lorenzo at the end of December will find a rare, authentic atmosphere: a village in the Campanian hinterland that tells its story through its products, workshops, and music, without any artificial tourist staging. It is the ideal opportunity to discover the Calore Valley in the low season, taste the year's new oil, and understand why, in this part of Campania, conviviality remains a form of collective hospitality.