Pastorella Cuccarese Festival

A Christmas celebration in the heart of Cilento

Every December, the small village of Cuccaro Vetere, in the province of Salerno, transforms for two nights into the capital of a unique pastry: the pastorella. The Pastorella Cuccarese Festival was created to showcase this Christmas specialty made with chestnuts, and over the years, it has become one of the most anticipated events in the Cilento winter calendar. In December 2025, the event reached its eighteenth edition: it is one of the few festivals in Campania entirely dedicated to a holiday pastry, during a time of year when the festival calendar is much quieter than in summer.

The pastorella: chestnuts, chocolate, and five points like the stars

The pastorella is a fried, filled pastry prepared in the Cilento region in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The recipe passed down in Cuccaro Vetere uses simple ingredients, all sourced from the local woods and gardens:

• The filling: boiled and pureed chestnuts, melted dark chocolate, powdered sugar, mandarin zest, and cinnamon.
• The dough: flour, egg yolks, butter, oil, wine, and sugar, rolled thin and cut into discs.
• The seal: the edges are pinched five times, so the finished pastry resembles a star — that of the Holy Night.
• The finish: deep-fried and topped with chestnut honey or powdered sugar.

Every family in Cuccaro has its own version, with slightly different measurements and aromas: the festival is also an opportunity to compare them and understand why this pastry is considered the true gastronomic symbol of the town.

Live cooking, stalls, and the record-breaking pastry

The heart of the event is the live cooking demonstrations by local housewives, who knead, fill, and fry the pastorelle in front of the public, explaining the techniques and timing of this entirely manual process. Nearby, food and craft stalls offer other Cilento chestnut delicacies — 'mburnate, vrule, vaddani, chestnut and bean soup, castagnaccio, and chestnut log cake — along with cheeses, cured meats, local wine, and roasted chestnuts. There is also the unmissable record-breaking pastorella, created in a giant version by local pastry chefs, alongside reinterpretations by local bakers, such as the chestnut panettone presented in recent editions.

Bagpipes, ciaramelle, and folk music

The name of the festival also refers to the other pastorella: the ancient Christmas carol passed down from generation to generation in Cilento. During the evenings, local groups roam the alleys of the historic center with bagpipes and ciaramelle (traditional folk pipes), recreating a warm and magical atmosphere, while folk music bands perform on stage. In December 2025, the two evenings featured performances by Rittantico and Peppe Cirillo; previous editions have hosted Marco Babbaro with the Vurpigini del Cilento and the Tarantanobes.

Cuccaro Vetere, the village of the chestnut tree

Cuccaro Vetere has just over five hundred inhabitants and overlooks the inland valleys of Cilento from an altitude of about 600 meters, within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. The chestnut groves surrounding the village have shaped its economy and cuisine for centuries: the chestnut tree, which can live for a thousand years, has been cultivated here since ancient times and is often associated with the Cilento diet and longevity. In this sense, the festival is not just a culinary treat but the way the municipality and the community share their agricultural landscape with Campania and its visitors.

An event for families

The evenings are designed for all ages: the village is decorated with lights and handmade nativity scenes, there are workshops and activities for children, and Santa Claus stops by to collect letters and distribute small gifts. The stalls open in the late afternoon and remain active until late; a covered area protects visitors from the cold and rain, ensuring the festival continues even in bad weather. Admission is free: you only pay for what you taste.