Radici d'Ortice

Radici d'Ortice: Sannio celebrates its olive oil

In the first days of January, the ancient village of Molinara, a town of about 1,500 inhabitants perched at an altitude of 582 meters in the Province of Benevento, Campania, transforms into a trail of lights, music, and tastings. Radici d'Ortice, whose full title is Radici, terra dell'Ortice, is the event promoted and organized by the Pro Loco Molinara APS to recount the historical and productive identity of the town, focusing on extra virgin olive oil and the excellence of the territory. It is not just a simple gastronomic event, but a blend of cultural reflection, live music, and food and wine trails along the alleys of the historic center.

The Ortice cultivar, root of a landscape

The Ortice is the typical olive variety of this part of Sannio and the absolute star of the event. In Molinara, it grows on centuries-old olive groves located on sloping hills, where harvesting remains a patient and largely manual task. The monovarietal oil obtained is described by local producers as having an intense fruity flavor, with herbaceous notes and hints of bitterness and spice: a clear, recognizable profile that is presented during the event in guided tastings to help visitors truly appreciate it. Around the bottles, there is talk of production techniques and the beneficial properties of extra virgin oil, with moments of in-depth study that turn a tasting into a small lesson in material culture.

Two days between Palazzo Ionni and the village alleys

The cultural center of the event is Palazzo Ionni, which hosts the opening concerts and the conference; the ancient village, with its stalls, is the convivial hub. The first day opens in the late afternoon with the My School orchestra from the San Marco dei Cavoti Comprehensive Institute, continues with the opening of the food stalls, and reaches the evening with the folk music of I Trementisti and a DJ set that closes the night. The second day changes pace: first the public discussion on olive oil tourism, then the parade with the Banda Città di Molinara descending towards the village, the reopening of the stalls, and the evening concert by the Movimento Popolare Sannita. It is a deliberate progression, from reflection to a street festival.

The flavors of Molinara tradition

The food stalls set up in the ancient village tell the story of the peasant cuisine of the upper Sannio, with Ortice oil as the common thread. Among the specialties highlighted by the local press:

• tastings of oil from C.A.M. and Terre di Molinara, the town's olive oil producers;
• farinata, a hearty, traditional peasant dish;
• paccozzelle and quagliatelli, traditional handmade pasta shapes of the Sannio region;
• sausage and local cheeses;
• zeppole, to end winter evenings on a sweet note.

Olive oil tourism: a bet for the upper Sannio

One of the most significant moments of the event is the conference Molinara, terra dell'Ortice: models and opportunities for olive oil tourism, hosted at Palazzo Ionni. The theme is anything but academic for a hill town: understanding how olive oil can become a driver for hospitality, visits to oil mills, and experiential tourism is one of the few concrete ways to retain value and people in an inland village of Campania. The fact that the Pro Loco includes this discussion in the program of a festival says a lot about the event's ambition.

Why put Molinara on your calendar in January

Radici d'Ortice occupies an unusual slot on the calendar: the first days of the year, when the Sannio region is still immersed in the holiday atmosphere and the inland villages experience their most intimate season. Those who arrive here find a compact historic center, decidedly winter temperatures at 582 meters of altitude, and village hospitality, where the Pro Loco and producers personally accompany visitors among the stalls. For those who want to discover the Municipality of Molinara and the quality olive growing of the Province of Benevento away from the beaten track, it is an occasion to mark down.