Pizzonta Festival

A festival born around fried pizza

The Pizzonta Festival takes place in Piana di Monte Verna, a town in the Province of Caserta, in Campania, about ten kilometers from the provincial capital and at the foot of the hills that accompany the course of the Volturno river. The festival is dedicated to the pizzonta, the traditional fried pizza of the Campanian peasant culture: a disc of leavened dough that, when dropped into boiling oil, puffs up to become crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It is a humble dish, born when wood-fired ovens were a luxury and the frying pan was the only domestic alternative, and today it represents one of the most recognizable symbols of Neapolitan and Casertan street food.

Who organizes it and why

The event is managed by the Pro Loco Pianese, which includes it as a staple among its food and wine initiatives alongside the Pianese Carnival, the Marcialonga, and the Don Giulio Farina Camp. The stated goal is twofold: to promote a product that defines the local identity and to bring people back to the squares and streets of the historic center, in a town with just over two thousand inhabitants. Over the years, the festival has become part of the municipal summer calendar, known in Piana di Monte Verna as Vivi la Piazza, a festival that enlivens the village from June to September with books, outdoor cinema, sports, folk traditions, and gastronomic events.

What to eat

The absolute star is naturally the pizzonta, offered in a long series of fillings designed to satisfy every taste. Among the versions most often found at the stands:

• Classic Pizzonta, simply fried and salted, to be eaten hot
• With tomato and cheese, the most requested variation
• With local cured meats and vegetables, depending on the availability of local producers
• Sweet versions, including the one with hazelnut cream, very popular with children

Service is organized using the classic village festival system: tickets are purchased at the cash desk and portions are collected at the stands, while tables are set up outdoors along the street hosting the event.

Music, games, and entertainment

The Pizzonta Festival is not just a gastronomic appointment. The evenings are accompanied by entertainment and music, with DJ sets and shows that continue late into the night: in the 2025 edition, the stage hosted the entertainment of Antonello Lacustika and the console of the legendary dance DJ Molella. A part of the program is traditionally reserved for team games, water-themed trials, and fun challenges open to residents and visitors, with advance registration and small teams. It is the moment that, more than any other, gives the festival its character as a community event, far removed from a festival designed only for passing tourism.

The context: the upper Caserta area

Piana di Monte Verna is located in an area of Campania less traveled than the coast, but rich in attractions: nearby Caiazzo and Castel Campagnano, the Volturno valley, the vineyards of the native Pallagrello and Casavecchia grapes, and the Matese Regional Park just a little further north. Those arriving for the festival can easily build a weekend among villages, wineries, and country trattorias. 2026 is a special year for the town: it celebrates fifty years since the birth of the current name, and the entire summer program has been built around this anniversary.

When it takes place

The festival is usually held in summer, in the heart of the Vivi la Piazza program: the 2025 edition, the fourth, took place at the end of June. For 2026, the Pizzonta Festival has been announced among the food and wine events of the municipal calendar, which covers the period from June 13 to September 19, but the precise dates have not yet been published. It is therefore advisable to follow the channels of the Pro Loco Pianese and the Municipality to learn the final program.