Rally del Matese

The rally that ignites the Matese summer

The Rally del Matese is the most anticipated motorsport event in the upper Caserta province and, effectively, the only rally race that Campania offers in the national calendar. At the beginning of August, the town of Piedimonte Matese and its neighbors transform into a natural circuit of hairpin bends, mountain roads, and alpine landscapes, followed by thousands of fans arriving from all over Central and Southern Italy.

The event is organized by ASD New Matese Motorsport, led by Gennaro Gentile, and is held in conjunction with the Rally del Medio Volturno – Memorial Peppino Picariello, a twin race dedicated to the memory of a beloved local motorsport figure. This double title multiplies the number of crews at the starting line and the charm of the two-day event each year.

A technical route within the Matese National Park

The track crosses some of the most beautiful vistas of the Matese National Park and involves four municipalities in the Province of Caserta: Piedimonte Matese, Alife, San Potito Sannitico, and Gioia Sannitica. In the 2026 edition, the total distance is 208.51 km, a route that organizers describe as technical and highly selective.

• Timed special stages: 72.86 km on the mountain roads of the Matese massif
• Transfers: 135.65 km through the villages of the upper Caserta area
• Municipalities involved: Piedimonte Matese, Alife, San Potito Sannitico, Gioia Sannitica
• Sporting validity: 7th Zone Rally Cup

The terrain's topography, with continuous elevation changes and tight curves against rocky ridges, makes every timed section a test of precision rather than pure speed: here, the winner is not the one who dares the most, but the one who makes the fewest mistakes.

The show stage in the historic center

The most evocative moment of the weekend arrives on Saturday evening, when the historic center of Piedimonte Matese is closed to traffic and transformed, for a few hours, into a true open-air theater. The cars parade between barriers and ancient buildings, with the public packed along the city track: this is the so-called "show stage," a now-consolidated tradition that officially opens the rally and engages even those who are not motorsport fans at all.

Sunday race day

Sunday is dedicated to the race itself. The start is set from the Cotton Village, while the finish line and awards ceremony are held in the heart of the city, in Piazza Cappello. Between one stage and another, the regrouping areas and service parks become a second stage, where the public can get close to the cars, watch the mechanics at work, and chat with the crews.

More than a race: a community celebration

Over the years, the Rally del Matese has become much more than a sporting competition. The organizing association complements the race with a series of initiatives aimed at the local area: in the spring of 2026, for example, the Villa Comunale of Piedimonte Matese hosted the Children's Rally, a day of introduction to motorsports that involved 150 children, including children with disabilities, during which the official poster for the edition was unveiled. Also in 2026, Miss Rally del Matese debuts, a competition designed to showcase the identity and beauty of the Matese territory alongside the racing cars.

Discovering the Matese around the race

The rally weekend is also an excellent opportunity to discover a corner of Campania still little touched by mass tourism. Piedimonte Matese, a historic center in the upper Caserta area at the foot of the massif, preserves an urban fabric of alleys, churches, and palaces that is worth visiting even outside race hours; all around, the Matese National Park offers woods, trails, and panoramas that provide a bit of coolness in summer compared to the plains. Those arriving from outside the region will find in the towns involved in the race – Alife, San Potito Sannitico, Gioia Sannitica – the authentic cuisine of the Campanian hinterland, made of mountain cheeses, cured meats, and traditional peasant dishes.