Paddoccola Festival

The paddoccola, a croquette that tells the story of a village

The paddoccola is a croquette made of potatoes, eggs, and goat or sheep cheese: a humble dish born in the peasant kitchens of the Cilento hinterland, which has become a true symbol of identity in Alfano. Hand-kneaded and fried to order, it is served hot at the stalls set up in the village center. The Paddoccola Festival was born around this simple recipe, bringing back to the square every summer flavors and customs that risked being lost: the festival reached its eleventh edition in 2018, its twelfth in 2019, and its fifteenth in 2026.

Alfano, a tiny village in the Cilento hinterland

Alfano is one of the smallest municipalities in the Province of Salerno, in Campania: just over nine hundred inhabitants, nestled at about 260 meters above sea level among the hills that separate the Gulf of Policastro from the Mingardo valley. The municipality borders Laurito, Rofrano, and Roccagloriosa, in a landscape of olive groves, chestnut woods, and small terraced fields that still reflects the Cilento peasant civilization. During the festival, the usually quiet village fills with visitors from nearby towns and Alfanesi returning from abroad or Northern Italy for their summer holidays: it is one of the few moments of the year when the community gathers in full.

Two evenings around the table

The heart of the event is Piazza Cavaliere Giovanni Greco, where food stalls run by volunteers are set up. Alongside the paddoccola, the menu offers other local traditional specialties:

• Paddoccole, fried to order and served hot, with their potato, egg, and cheese dough;
• Ciaurieddo, the typical mix of seasonal vegetables pan-cooked;
• Zeppole, sweet fritters prepared according to the family recipe;
• Local wine from Cilento wineries, served by the glass at popular prices.

This is not a commercial showcase but a village kitchen: the women and youth of the community prepare everything on-site, with quantities increasing year by year to meet the influx of visitors.

Folk music, dancing, and wandering the alleys

The two evenings are enlivened by live performances. Over the years, the lineup has included folk music groups, dance orchestras, DJ sets, marching bands, folk dance troupes, and bagpipers who roam the village alleys, drawing the public in. The Cilento tarantella remains the common thread: traditional songs and dances that, more than the gastronomy itself, define the identity of this part of Campania. There is no shortage of street performers and entertainment for children, making the festival suitable for the whole family.

A festival built by the parish youth

The Paddoccola Festival is organized by the San Nicola di Mira Parish in Alfano, led by Father Aniello Carinci and a large group of young local volunteers. The event has always had a goal that goes beyond the table: the proceeds from the evenings have been dedicated to the restoration and enhancement of local artistic and religious heritage. It is a widespread model in Cilento, where food festivals are not just gastronomic appointments but concrete tools for social cohesion and community self-financing.

Why it is worth coming here

Alfano is not on the seaside tourism routes: those who travel up here do so to seek the most authentic Cilento, that of the inland villages. The festival takes place in the middle of the Cilento August food festival calendar, just a few kilometers from other historic events like the Chickpea Festival in Cicerale, the Fusillo Felittese Festival, or "At the Table of Princess Costanza" in Teggiano: a gastronomic itinerary that, in just a few evenings, tells the story of the entire traditional cuisine of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. Those who arrive in Alfano find affordable prices, spontaneous hospitality, and the chance to taste a dish that is rarely found in restaurants.