Re Casatiello
The Easter challenge dedicated to the sweet casatiello from Monte di Procida.
About Re Casatiello
A competition defending an identity-defining dessert
Re Casatiello is the food and wine event through which the Municipality of Monte di Procida, in the Province of Naples, celebrates its most beloved Easter treat: the sweet casatiello from Monte di Procida. Established in 2016 by the local Pro Loco and the Re Casatiello Committee, the competition has a clear, non-folklore-driven goal: to prevent a home-made recipe, passed down orally through generations, from being lost or confused with the many industrial versions flooding supermarket shelves during Holy Week.
What is the sweet casatiello from Monte di Procida?
Unlike other sweet casatielli found throughout Campania, the Monte di Procida version has a precise and rigorous profile. It contains no milk, uses lard as its only fat, and excludes candied fruit or artificial flavorings: the aroma comes solely from cinnamon, orange juice, lemon zest, and Strega liqueur. It is a slow-leavened dough that requires patience and skilled hands, and this strict adherence to the recipe is exactly what makes it so recognizable. The Municipality of Monte di Procida has granted it De.Co. (Municipal Designation) status, while the Campania Region has included it in its Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory.
How the competition works
Participation is open to everyone, but the competition remains strictly amateur: it features home bakers, not professionals. Cakes are submitted before the registration deadline and evaluated anonymously, marked only by a small flag, ensuring the judges focus solely on what is on the plate. The jury evaluates taste, texture, leavening, and above all, adherence to tradition: a technically perfect casatiello that deviates from the local recipe cannot win.
- Maximum of twenty contestants per edition
- Anonymous evaluation by a qualified jury
- Symbolic prizes and entry into the golden book of home pastry chefs
- Free tasting open to the entire public
Much more than a contest
Every year, the competition serves as a hub for education and conviviality. The event features technical insights from national-level master bakers, interviews on the secrets of leavening, musical performances by local groups, and, of course, the collective tasting. The casatiello is served with Piedirosso dei Campi Flegrei DOP from local wineries—a sophisticated pairing between a spiced dessert and a red wine from the Phlegraean coast, grown on volcanic soil just a stone's throw from the sea.
Monte di Procida and the Phlegraean Fields
Overlooking the gulf, facing Procida and Ischia, Monte di Procida is the smallest municipality in the Phlegraean area and one of the most identity-driven: a community of sailors and emigrants, with a historic diaspora to the United States that still maintains a very strong bond with its hometown. In this context, the sweet casatiello is a true symbol: it is made at home, gifted to relatives, and shipped overseas. Visitors to the competition find much more than a tasting; they discover the story of how a community chooses to define itself through a recipe.
Why it's worth visiting
Re Casatiello is a free-entry event, non-profit, and held in a public space. It is the perfect opportunity to sample a product rarely found outside the municipal borders, to understand the difference between the savory Neapolitan casatiello and its sweet cousin from Monte di Procida, and to combine your visit with a walk on the Torregaveta viewpoint or along the Phlegraean coast, between Bacoli, Baia, and Lake Miseno.
Re Casatiello — edition 2026
Re Casatiello 2026 at the Laboratorio delle Arti
On Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 5:00 PM, the Laboratorio delle Arti on Via Torrione in Monte di Procida hosted the latest edition of Re Casatiello, organized by the Pro Loco Monte di Procida with the patronage of the Municipality and the collaboration of Slow Food Campi Flegrei, Malazè, and UNPLI.
At the heart of the evening was the competition between amateur pastry chefs for the title of king of the sweet casatiello from Monte di Procida, the De.Co. Easter bread listed in the Campania Region's Intangible Heritage Inventory. The major innovation of the year was the Re Casatiello Junior section, featuring a jury composed of local youths tasked with rewarding the interpretation most aligned with the tastes of the new generation.
The program alternated between competition and education: technical talks by master bakers Aniello di Caprio and Gaetano Mignano, an interview conducted by journalist Floriana Schiano Moriello on the secrets of leavening and regional variations of the casatiello, and finally, the public tasting accompanied by Piedirosso dei Campi Flegrei DOP from Cantine del Mare. The evening concluded with musical performances by the Corale Flegrea Swing Ensemble.
Programme Re Casatiello 2026
Saturday, March 28, 2026 — Laboratorio delle Arti, Via Torrione
- 5:00 PM — Opening of the event and submission of competing casatielli
- Presentation of the desserts and start of anonymous evaluation by the jury
- Technical talks on the tradition of great leavened products with Aniello di Caprio (World Panettone Champion) and Gaetano Mignano (Gelato World Cup winner)
- Interview with journalist Floriana Schiano Moriello on leavening secrets and regional variations
- Public tasting of the sweet casatiello paired with Piedirosso dei Campi Flegrei DOP from Cantine del Mare
- Musical performances by the Corale Flegrea Swing Ensemble
- Announcement of the winner and presentation of the Re Casatiello Junior award
The 2026 Jury
- Vincenzo Peretti, Professor at the University of Naples Federico II
- Giuseppe Daddio, Chef
- Cosimo Orlacchio, Slow Food Campi Flegrei
- Rosario Mattera, Malazè
- Ciro Lubrano, Flegrea Food Lovers
- Luisa Scotto di Frega, President of the Monte di Procida City Council
- Luigi Carbone, Councilor
Highlights Re Casatiello 2026
- 2026 Innovation: The Re Casatiello Junior award, judged by a youth panel
- Strictly amateur competition with anonymous evaluation
- Free tasting for all attendees
- Pairing with Piedirosso dei Campi Flegrei DOP from Cantine del Mare
- International master bakers as guest speakers
- Live music by the Corale Flegrea Swing Ensemble
Prices Re Casatiello 2026
Practical information — Re Casatiello
How to get there
By car: from the Naples Tangenziale, take the Arco Felice or Cuma exit, then follow signs for Bacoli and Monte di Procida (approx. 30 km from Naples city center). By train: take the Cumana line to Torregaveta (the terminus), then a bus or a short drive to the town center. By bus: EAV connections available from Pozzuoli and Bacoli.
Admission and costs
Admission is free. The tasting of the sweet casatiello, accompanied by a glass of Piedirosso dei Campi Flegrei DOP, is offered to the public. Participation in the competition is free and reserved for amateur pastry chefs; registration must be completed before the deadline indicated by the organizers.
Practical tips
Seating is limited: it is advisable to arrive well in advance of the start time. Parking in the center of Monte di Procida is difficult on event days; it is better to leave your car in the peripheral areas and walk. For accommodation, the widest range of options is found in Bacoli and Pozzuoli, just a few kilometers away.
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