Pietrelcina Artichoke Festival

An artichoke that has become a Slow Food Presidium

The Pietrelcina Artichoke is no ordinary artichoke. Cultivated for generations in the gardens and fields surrounding this village in the province of Benevento, it is renowned for its fragrance, tender leaves, and a delicacy that organizers champion as a hallmark of the local territory. Since 2021, it has been recognized as a Slow Food Presidium, a label that protects the local variety, supports the producers who keep it alive, and certifies the deep bond between this vegetable and its land of origin. The Pietrelcina Artichoke Festival is, at its heart, a great collective celebration of this recognition.

A tradition running since 1976

The festival was born alongside the Pro Loco of Pietrelcina, established on February 9, 1976, and has never stopped since: in 2026, it reached its 46th edition. "The festival was created to promote our artichoke, perhaps the most genuine product of this land," recalled Pro Loco president Vincenzo Mastronardi. Behind the event is an entirely volunteer-run machine: about seventy volunteers working in the kitchen, dining area, at stalls, and in hospitality, supported by the municipal administration led by Mayor Salvatore Mazzone. Since 2003, the event has expanded to include local restaurants, which offer tourist menus dedicated to the Pietrelcina artichoke throughout the season.

Two locations, two ways to experience the festival

The festival takes place across two complementary hubs in the heart of the Municipality of Pietrelcina:

• Piazza SS. Annunziata — the stage for the Apericarciofo, the midday aperitif that kicks off the event on weekends in late April and early May: tastings, glasses of Sannio wine, chatting in the square, and music.
• Parco Colesanti — hosts the main events, featuring a dining area covered by structures that provide shelter from bad weather and more than 400 seats. This is where gourmet pizza nights and tasting menus take place, always accompanied by live music.

What to eat

The artichoke is the absolute star, prepared in every way that Sannio peasant cuisine has perfected over time:

• Bruschetta with carpaccio or artichoke salad;
• Penne with artichoke ragù, the festival's signature dish;
• Indurati artichokes (battered and fried) and roasted artichokes;
• Stuffed artichokes according to the family recipe;
• Cuzzetiello (bread hollowed out and filled) with artichokes and gourmet artichoke pizza;
• Meats served with roasted artichokes, local cured meats and cheeses, and traditional desserts;
• Sannio wines and craft beer at the tasting stalls.

Alongside the dining options, there is a market where you can buy freshly harvested artichokes and local agri-food products: the most direct way to take a piece of the festival home with you.

Guests, music, and awards

In recent years, the event has raised the bar by inviting big names in Italian cuisine: master pizzaiolo Franco Pepe, considered one of the best in the world, signed the Pizza PuCynara for Pietrelcina, dedicated specifically to the local artichoke. The evenings are marked by live music with local bands, ranging from folk repertoires to covers and dancing. In 2026, the festival applied for the UNPLI 'Quality Festival' label, the national recognition from the Pro Loco that rewards organizational rigor, authenticity of tradition, and the ability to enhance local agriculture: UNPLI inspectors visited the event during the last edition.

Pietrelcina, the town of Padre Pio

Visiting the festival also means discovering one of the most visited villages in inland Campania. Pietrelcina is the birthplace of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina: the Castello district with its stone alleys, the saint's birthplace, the church of Sant'Anna where he was baptized, and the Sanctuary attract pilgrims from all over the world. All around, the hills of the Sannio region create a landscape of vineyards—this is the land of Aglianico, Falanghina, and Coda di Volpe—olive groves, and small villages. In spring, the festival is the perfect opportunity to combine a spiritual visit, a walk through the historic center, and a table full of zero-kilometer products.