Pancetta, Fava Bean and Pecorino Festival

A spring festival in the heart of the Valle Caudina

In Airola, a village in the province of Benevento overlooking the Valle Caudina in Campania, the Pancetta, Fava Bean and Pecorino Festival marks the full arrival of the spring season every year. The event is held in the square in front of the Convent of the Friars Minor of San Pasquale, along Corso Caudino: one of the most iconic corners of the town, where the convent courtyard transforms into a large open-air dining room for two days.

This is not a manufactured event; it was born from the initiative of the local neighborhood, the Corso Caudino San Pasquale Committee, and retains the feel of a neighborhood party extended to the entire Sannio region. Visitors arriving in Airola during these days will find long communal tables, stoves lit from the afternoon, and a continuous flow of families, groups of friends, and curious visitors from the provinces of Benevento, Caserta, and Naples.

Three simple products, one signature dish

The heart of the festival is a pairing that needs no introduction in Campania: pancetta, fava beans, and pecorino. Three humble ingredients, tied to the agricultural calendar and seasonality, which together tell the story of the valley's peasant cuisine:

• Pancetta, cooked on the grill or in a pan until crispy, a legacy of the home butchery practiced for generations in the homes of the Valle Caudina.
• Fresh fava beans, hand-shelled, the absolute stars of May: in local tradition, they are eaten raw, freshly picked, or lightly blanched.
• Local pecorino, a hard cheese cut into flakes or chunks, which completes the flavor profile and stands up well to the local wine served at the stalls.

Alongside the trio that gives the festival its name, the food stalls offer other local specialties in a succession of tastings that continues until late in the evening.

The 2026 edition: the festival turns sixteen

In 2026, the event reaches its 16th edition, scheduled for Saturday, May 23rd, and Sunday, May 24th. On Saturday, the food stalls open from 7:30 PM; on Sunday, service also includes lunch, before resuming in the evening. It is a proven formula designed for those who want to stop and eat at a leisurely pace.

The festival has a long history: the 6th edition dates back to 2013, the 9th to 2016, the 12th to 2019, the 13th to 2023, and the 15th to 2025, with breaks during difficult years that were overcome without losing the audience.

Live music, guided tours, and entertainment

The program does not end at the table. Each evening features its own concert in the square: in 2026, Saturday is entrusted to the "Cuori Danzanti" Show Orchestra, with the danceable repertoire that has always accompanied festivals in the South, while Sunday evening features Pietro Vox. Sunday morning is dedicated to a guided tour of the Convent, a way to link the gastronomic festival to the religious and artistic heritage of the village.

In previous editions, the committee has supplemented the shows with children's entertainment and tourist routes to discover Airola: the festival thus also functions as a showcase for the town.

The San Pasquale Convent, the setting for the festival

The choice of location is anything but accidental. The Convent of the Friars Minor, linked to the Convent of the SS. Concezione, is a devotional landmark for Airola and neighboring towns: the festival takes place with the involvement of the convent community and the patronage of the Municipality of Airola. The courtyard, spacious and flat, allows for stalls, tables, and a stage without closing off the historic center.

Airola and the Valle Caudina

Airola is located along the ancient road that connected Benevento to Capua, in a valley nestled between the Taburno-Camposauro massif and the Partenio Mountains. It is a territory of olive groves, vineyards, and small dairies, a short distance from destinations like Sant'Agata de' Goti and the Taburno-Camposauro Regional Park. Those attending the festival can build a weekend that combines food, villages, and nature, taking advantage of Airola's location halfway between Naples, Caserta, and Benevento.

An event also designed for camper van travelers

For many years, the committee has reserved a guarded parking area for camper vans in Piazza Caduti di Nassiriya: a solution that allows visitors to stay overnight between Saturday and Sunday and depart after Sunday lunch. It is one of the details that explain why this festival has become one of the most popular May events in the Sannio region.