Polpette e Cucchiulelle Festival

A historic festival in the heart of Irpinia

The Polpette e Cucchiulelle Festival is one of the longest-running culinary events in the province of Avellino. It takes place every August in the Squillani district of Roccabascerana, a small village in the Valle Caudina overlooking the hills of Irpinia, in Campania. Local records document the 35th edition in 2011 and the 39th in 2015, tracing the event's roots back to the late 1970s, when the patronal feast committee began pairing religious rites with an evening dedicated to traditional peasant dishes.

Polpette and cucchiulelle: the two symbols of the feast

The festival's name says it all. The polpette (meatballs) are prepared according to a family recipe using quality meat and fresh ingredients, fried on the spot in front of the crowd. The cucchiulelle are a specialty found almost exclusively here: a leavened dough that sits between a focaccia and a fritter, golden-fried in boiling oil and served hot. Alongside these two protagonists, you will find other traditional Irpinian fried foods, local products, and regional wines from the surrounding hills, which are part of the Irpinia wine district.

A feast linked to Maria SS. del Carmelo

The festival is not an isolated event; it is an integral part of the celebrations in honor of Maria SS. del Carmelo, the devotion around which the summer in Squillani revolves. The calendar alternates between religious moments, including a procession, and secular festivities. This is a typical structure for Southern Italian village feasts, where the sacred and the social support one another, and where the festival committee relies on the volunteer work of dozens of local families.

The Cuppetiello of Polpette and Sciurilli

Over the years, a second evening has been added to the main festival: the Cuppetiello di Polpette e Sciurilli, which reached its tenth edition in 2025. The cuppetiello is the paper cone used to serve the meatballs and sciurilli (zucchini flower fritters)—a form of street food meant to be enjoyed while strolling along the avenue to the sound of music. Together, these two evenings make the festival a mini-celebration of Irpinian frying, complete with beer and local products.

Music, comedy, and fireworks

The entertainment program has always been generous. Over the years, it has featured popular folk and Latin-American orchestras, pizzica and taranta groups, Italian music bands, and, in 2025, the Neapolitan comedian Biagio Izzo. The grand finale is traditionally marked by fireworks launched late at night over the hills, while artistic illuminations light up the entire festival route. Stands usually open in the evening, around 8:00 PM, and the party continues late into the night.

Squillani and the Valle Caudina

Roccabascerana has just over two thousand inhabitants, spread across several hamlets nestled in the hills that separate the Valle Caudina from the Sabato Valley. Squillani is one of these: a cluster of houses gathered around the square and Viale M.llo Stefano Piantadosi, which becomes a long open-air dining table for three nights in August. For those visiting Irpinia, the festival is an easy way to experience the authentic popular cuisine of the Avellino province without any tourist filters: you eat standing up, spend very little, and mingle with the locals.

When it takes place

The event traditionally falls in the second half of August, the weekend following Ferragosto. In 2025, the 41st edition was held from August 22nd to 24th. For the 2026 edition, some industry portals suggest the weekend of August 21st–23rd, but as of the update of this entry, the organizing committee has not yet released an official calendar: it is advisable to check dates and programs on the official channels of the Municipality of Roccabascerana and the festival committee before setting off.