Peasant Culture Festival - International Folklore Festival
Three evenings of folklore, rural heritage, and Volturno flavors in the historic center of Ruviano
About Peasant Culture Festival
A village in the Alto Casertano telling the story of its roots
Ruviano is a small town in the province of Caserta, in Campania, nestled eighty meters above sea level at the eastern edge of the province, where the Volturno river carves its great bend. Low hills covered in vineyards and olive groves, a castle with a clock tower overlooking the town, and the church of San Leone Magno: this is the natural stage for the Peasant Culture Festival, which every summer transforms the village's narrow streets and squares into an open-air theater dedicated to the memory of the rural world.
Since 1997, a festival born to remember
The event was founded in 1997 on the initiative of the Pro Loco Raiano—the name recalls the village's ancient designation, which was called Raiano until 1862—with the goal of promoting the territory and the shared identity that binds this community to its peasant culture. Since then, the festival has been held every year and has become one of the most recognizable summer events in the Alto Casertano region. The organization is coordinated by the Pro Loco Raiano, presided over by Pasquale Di Meo, with the patronage of the Municipality of Ruviano, UNPLI (National Union of Pro Loco of Italy), and CSI.
The International Folklore Festival
The festival is accompanied by the International Folklore Festival, which over the years has brought Italian and international folk music and dance groups to Ruviano. In the 2025 edition, in collaboration with Sannio Mondialfolk, groups from Mexico, Slovakia, and Bulgaria performed alongside Italian ensembles; recent evenings have featured Campanian and Sannite groups such as the Germogli folk association, the Movimento Popolare Sannita, I Sarraccusi', and Napoli Roots. Tarantellas, accordions, tammorra drums, and traditional dances are the common thread of every evening.
Re-enactments: harvesting, threshing, and agricultural machinery
The heart of the festival lies in the re-enactments of field work. Local associations bring the gestures of harvesting and threshing wheat back to the square, while the parade of vintage agricultural machinery and the gathering of horses cross the town to Piazza Nuova. These are participatory moments where the elderly recognize tools and movements, and the younger generation discovers a world that, until a few decades ago, marked daily life along the Volturno.
The Museum of Peasant Art, an event within the event
The organizers define it as a true event within the event: the Museum of Peasant Art displays work tools, household utensils, carts, and memory objects collected in the area. Set up along the festival route, it functions as a widespread open-air exhibition that guides visitors from square to square, restoring the material history of the Caserta countryside.
Ancient crafts, artisans, and the Pro Loco of Campania
Along the characteristic narrow streets of the historic center, exhibitors of crafts and ancient trades are set up: the blacksmith, the basket weaver, women's spinning and weaving work, and woodworking. In recent years, the Pro Loco Raiano has involved numerous Pro Loco from all over Campania, invited to represent the traditions and cultures of their respective towns: a choice that transforms Ruviano, for three evenings, into a small regional showcase of local identities.
The food and wine area
The food and wine area is a must, set up primarily around Piazza Nuova, where one can taste traditional dishes and local excellence: homemade pasta, legumes, vegetables and fruit from the Volturno bend, oil and wines from the surrounding hills, and homemade desserts. The most recent edition also includes a Sunday lunch featuring authentic peasant recipes.
Why it is worth a visit
- An authentic, non-touristy village, half an hour from Caserta and the Vanvitellian Royal Palace
- Free entry to the evenings in the squares of the historic center, in an intimate and family-friendly setting
- A program that combines live performance, rural memory, and local gastronomy
- An opportunity to discover the San Domenico and Alvignanello districts and the river landscape of the Volturno
Those arriving in Ruviano during these days will find families on their doorsteps, illuminated alleys, folk music bouncing off the village stones, and the scent of outdoor kitchens. It is not an event built for mass tourism, and that is precisely its value.
Peasant Culture Festival — edition 2026
Three evenings in the village
Following the extended 2025 edition, in 2026 the Peasant Culture Festival focuses on three evenings, from July 31 to August 2. The historic center of Ruviano and its districts return to being a widespread theater: shows and initiatives take place simultaneously along the characteristic narrow streets of the town, among exhibitors of crafts and ancient trades.
Folk music
Officially opening the event on Friday, July 31, is the group Aria Nova, with traditional local dances, followed by the accordion review by Giovanni Mennillo and the Movimento Popolare Sannita with tarantellas and folk dances. Saturday, August 1, features the Germogli folk association and the group Sarraccusi'; Sunday, August 2, sees the return of Germogli together with Napoli Roots.
Peasant memory
Saturday, August 1, features the re-enactment of wheat harvesting and threshing, curated by the volunteers of the Casa Betania association led by Emilia Genzano, with musical accompaniment by Alberto Mennillo and Salvatore Cusano. Sunday, August 2, begins with the tractor parade and horse gathering in Piazza Nuova, mass, and lunch with traditional peasant recipes; in the afternoon, the children's show Lo cunto dei cunti.
Museum, crafts, and flavors
Once again this year, the Museum of Peasant Art is presented as an event within the event, a guardian of the territory's historical memory. A new feature of the 2026 edition is the participation of numerous Pro Loco from all over Campania, invited to represent the traditions of their respective towns. The food and wine area is always present, with typical dishes and local zero-kilometer excellence.
The event is held with the patronage of the Municipality of Ruviano, UNPLI, and CSI, with Pro Loco Raiano coordinating the entire organization.
Programme Peasant Culture Festival 2026
Friday, July 31, 2026
- 8:00 PM - Official inauguration with authorities
- Folk group Aria Nova: traditional local dances
- Accordion review by Giovanni Mennillo
- Movimento Popolare Sannita (MPS): tarantellas and folk dances
Saturday, August 1, 2026
- Re-enactment of wheat harvesting and threshing with the Casa Betania association led by Emilia Genzano
- Musical accompaniment by Alberto Mennillo and Salvatore Cusano
- Performance by the Germogli folk association
- Evening concluded by the group Sarraccusi'
Sunday, August 2, 2026
- Tractor parade and horse gathering in Piazza Nuova
- Mass celebration
- Lunch with traditional peasant recipes
- Folk music with the Germogli association and Napoli Roots
- Children's show Lo cunto dei cunti
Throughout the festival
- Open-air Museum of Peasant Art, with tools and objects of rural memory
- Exhibitors of crafts and ancient trades along the narrow streets of the historic center
- Stands of the Pro Loco from all over Campania
- Food and wine area with typical dishes and zero-kilometer products
- Guided tours of the San Domenico and Alvignanello districts are also planned
Highlights Peasant Culture Festival 2026
- Opening by the group Aria Nova on Friday, July 31, with the accordion review and the Movimento Popolare Sannita
- Re-enactment of wheat harvesting and threshing by the Casa Betania association
- Tractor parade and horse gathering in Piazza Nuova on Sunday morning
- Museum of Peasant Art: the event within the event, historical memory of the territory
- Pro Loco from all over Campania as guests of the 2026 edition
- Concerts by Sarraccusi', Germogli, and Napoli Roots
- Children's show Lo cunto dei cunti
Prices Peasant Culture Festival 2026
Practical information — Peasant Culture Festival
How to get there
By car: Ruviano can be reached from the Caianello or Caserta Nord exits of the A1 motorway, continuing towards the Alto Casertano along the Volturno valley; it is about 35 km from Caserta. The historic center is pedestrianized during the festival evenings: park in the areas at the edge of the town and continue on foot.
By train: the Ruviano station is on the Caserta-Piedimonte Matese line; however, connections are limited in the evening, so it is better to check the timetables or plan to use a car.
By plane: the reference airport is Naples Capodichino, about 60 km away.
Entry and costs
The evenings take place in the streets and squares of the historic center, with free access; the organizers do not indicate an entrance fee. Tastings and dishes in the food and wine area are paid, with prices typical of a village festival.
Where to stay
In Ruviano, accommodation is limited to a few B&Bs and farmhouses. Within a few kilometers, there are facilities in Alvignano, Caiazzo, Piedimonte Matese, and Telese Terme; for a more equipped base, Caserta is recommended.
Tips
- Arrive around 7:30 PM - 8:00 PM: the re-enactments and parades open the evening, and the folk shows continue until late.
- Comfortable shoes: the route winds along narrow, sloping streets and cobblestones.
- Bring cash for food stands and artisans.
- The Museum of Peasant Art is worth a calm visit before the squares fill up.
Information
Organized by Pro Loco Raiano, based on Corso Umberto I in Ruviano. The updated program is released every year in July by the Municipality of Ruviano and the local Caserta press.
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Where does it take place — Peasant Culture Festival
Centro storico di Ruviano - Piazza Nuova