Pizza Festival (San Pietro Irpino)

The San Pietro Irpino Pizza Festival

Every summer, the small district of San Pietro Irpino, in the municipality of Chianche (province of Avellino, Campania), gathers around the square of the Church of San Pietro Apostolo for the Pizza Festival. This is not a massive event, nor does it aim to be: it is a village festival in the most authentic sense of the term. Born within the parish community and grown through word of mouth, it uses freshly baked pizza as a pretext to spend an evening together outdoors, under the sky of the middle Sabato Valley.

The organizers describe it as "a fantastic evening of lightheartedness and good food," designed to be enjoyed with friends and family in a relaxed atmosphere. This is, ultimately, the hallmark of Irpinian village festivals: no elaborate choreography, just long tables, lively conversation, and the scent of yeast drifting among the houses.

Chianche, a village in the land of Greco di Tufo

Chianche is one of the least populated municipalities in Campania: just under five hundred inhabitants—the Chianchesi—distributed among the three settlements of Chianche, Chianchetelle, and San Pietro. The municipal territory stretches across a hillside between 350 and 400 meters above sea level, in the Sabato River valley, framed by the Partenio Mountains and the Taburno massif.

Olive groves and vineyards define the landscape and its economy: these lands produce excellent extra virgin olive oil and, above all, the Greco di Tufo DOCG, the great white wine of Irpinia whose production area includes, alongside Tufo, Chianche, Altavilla Irpina, Montefusco, Petruro Irpino, Prata di Principato Ultra, Santa Paolina, and Torrioni. Visitors arriving for the festival find themselves in one of the most distinctive wine-growing territories in Campania, just a few kilometers from the historic wineries of Greco.

Pizza, fried snacks, and craft beer

The heart of the evening is, of course, the pizza, prepared and baked on-site and served to visitors throughout the night. Alongside the ovens, other food stalls offer traditional Campanian fried snacks and local desserts. The festival menu typically features:

• Pizzas freshly baked and served hot all evening
• Fried snacks in the Campanian tradition
• Craft beer from the Birrificio San Pietro, a local brewery that participates directly in the event

The presence of the local brewery is a defining element of the event: the craft beer produced just steps from the church square replaces industrial drinks, following a "short supply chain" philosophy that has become a recurring feature of the most well-curated Irpinian festivals.

Live music, crafts, and children's games

The festival goes beyond the plate. In the 2025 edition, the soundtrack was provided by the Fabio's Band, with a live repertoire designed to get families at the tables dancing and singing. Surrounding the food area are artisan stalls showcasing local products and crafts, along with a space featuring games for children, making the evening suitable for even the youngest visitors.

Admission is free, and the format is that of a classic district festival: arrive whenever you like, eat at the stalls, sit wherever there is space, and stay until late in the evening.

Who organizes the festival

The event is promoted by the Church of San Pietro Apostolo in collaboration with the Agorà Bagnara Association, with the patronage of the Municipality of Chianche and the participation of the Birrificio San Pietro. It is an event born from local volunteer work, where the parish, local associations, and the municipal administration work together—a very common formula in the small towns of Irpinia, where summer festivals also serve as a meeting point for emigrants returning to their hometowns in August.

When it takes place

The event is traditionally held at the end of August, in the heart of the Irpinian festival season. In 2025, the Pizza Festival was held on Saturday, August 30, starting at 7:30 PM, and was covered by several local newspapers in the province of Avellino.

At the time of writing, the date for the 2026 edition has not yet been publicly announced: it is advisable to follow the channels of the Municipality of Chianche, the parish of San Pietro Apostolo, and the Agorà Bagnara Association, which usually release the poster a few weeks before the event.