Portoni, Matassa e Suon

The historic center of Campagna opens to visitors

Portoni, Matassa e Suon is a food, wine, and cultural itinerary held in the historic center of Campagna, a town in the province of Salerno, in Campania, nestled between the Picentini Mountains at the entrance to the Sele Valley. For a few evenings, the large portoni (doorways) of noble palaces, usually closed, are opened to the public and transformed into spaces of conviviality, memory, and flavor: visitors walk through courtyards, entrance halls, and staircases, discovering environments that tell centuries of local history and host exhibitions, installations, and small concerts for the occasion.

Matassa campagnese, the thread of the festival

The event's name refers to the town's most iconic dish: matassa campagnese, a fresh pasta from the upper Sele Valley made only with water, flour, and salt. No tools are used: the dough is pulled with closed fists and twisted like a skein (matassa), a gesture passed down through families that requires uncommon manual skill. Tradition dictates it be served with legumes, beans or chickpeas, and sometimes enriched with porcini mushrooms. In Campagna, the matassa has obtained the De.Co. (Municipal Designation) and is still handmade by historic local pasta makers; according to the most accredited reconstructions, its origin is linked to the Arbëreshë cuisine that arrived in Southern Italy between the 15th and 18th centuries.

Along the route, in Piazza Palatucci, you can taste the great classics of local cuisine:

• Matassa e fasul, the matassa with beans, the festival's signature dish
• Costareccia grilled, from the peasant tradition of the Salerno hinterland
• Caciocavallo impiccato, suspended over the flame and served melted
• Typical local products, from cheeses to honey and seasonal fruit

Art, music, and Southern identity

The project is not just about gastronomy: every edition pairs tastings with a program of exhibitions, meetings, and concerts. In the 2025 edition, dedicated to the theme of rebellious waters and Southern identity, the doorways and the Municipal Cloister hosted works by artists such as Antonio Del Donno, while folk music groups, DJs, and folk bands alternated in the alleys; Piazza Palatucci hosted a meeting with journalist and writer Pino Aprile and a concert by I Valcalore. It is this alternation between the table, contemporary art, and the narrative of the South that gives the event its recognizable character.

From Portoni Ghiottoni to Portoni, Matassa e Suon

The event carries on the legacy of Portoni Ghiottoni, the historic gastronomic walk that enlivened the palaces of the Campagna historic center during the 2000s. After a long break, the formula was rethought and relaunched with a new name: the first edition of Portoni, Matassa e Suon was held in January 2023, the second in July 2025, both promoted by the association MangioTipico together with SmartLab ETS and the Chiena Summer Fest, with the patronage of the Municipality of Campagna and the Pro Loco Città di Campagna.

In the heart of the Campagna summer

The event is part of the summer calendar of Campagna, which revolves around 'a Chiena, the town's most famous ritual: the waters of the Tenza river are diverted along an ancient artificial canal and flow back through the streets, alleys, and squares of the historic center, transforming the village into a huge party space. In 2026, 'a Chiena is scheduled from July 19 to August 23, with walks, water splashing, guided tours, and shows. Those visiting Campagna during this period will find a lively village where the discovery of noble palaces and local cuisine intertwines with a unique popular tradition in Italy.

A slow experience, to be enjoyed on foot

The format is that of a walk: it usually starts in the early evening, when the doorways open, and proceeds without haste from courtyard to courtyard, following the wandering music. We recommend wearing comfortable shoes, as the historic center of Campagna is full of slopes, stairs, and narrow alleys, and leaving your car in the parking lots outside the village.