Re Panuozzo

Re Panuozzo, the kingdom of Neapolitan street food

For five evenings at the end of August, Piazza Mons. Larocca in the Scalo district of Montesano sulla Marcellana, in the province of Salerno, completely changes its face: lights, wood-fired ovens glowing, queues forming in front of the stalls, and the scent of freshly baked bread drifting through the air. This is Re Panuozzo, a festival dedicated to Neapolitan street food that draws thousands of visitors every summer from the Campania region and neighboring Basilicata.

The formula is simple and proven: free admission, outdoor seating, affordable prices, and a stage that accompanies the tasting experience with live music until late at night. This is not just a casual village fair, but a well-structured event curated by the social promotion association A.P.S. Re Panuozzo, which over the years has established a recognizable fixture in the summer calendar of the municipality and the entire district.

The panuozzo, the absolute star

The panuozzo is a loaf of pizza dough baked in a wood-fired oven, sliced lengthwise, stuffed, and returned to the oven so the bread remains crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. While its origins are claimed by Gragnano, it has become a symbol of Campanian street food: here, it is offered in dozens of variations, from the most classic versions with cured meats, fiordilatte, and grilled vegetables to creative combinations designed by the event's vendors.

Alongside the king of the festival, the menu expands to include the best of Neapolitan frying:

• Pasta frittatine, crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside
• Stuffed crocchettoni in a maxi version
• Cuoppi of mixed fried food to go
• Cuzzitielli and other traditional Neapolitan specialties
• Typical desserts and draft beer to round off the evening

Music, shows, and competitions every night

Re Panuozzo is not just about gastronomy: every evening features stage entertainment, including tribute bands, concerts by Campanian artists, cabaret, and family-friendly shows. Two formats have become historical staples of the event: the Miss Regina Margherita beauty pageant, accompanied by the Little Miss section for children, and above all «The Singer» – Memorial Don Maurizio Esposito, the singing competition that closes the festival and which in 2025 added a new section dedicated to Original Songs, created in collaboration with Radio Alfa.

A festival that grew with the town

The first edition dates back to 2015, and since then, the event has taken place almost every year, growing in space, audience, and quality. 2024 marked the tenth anniversary, while the eleventh edition in 2025 took place from August 20th to 24th over five consecutive evenings. The success of the event has turned Montesano Scalo, historically the most modern and commercial part of the municipality, into a hub of the Vallo di Diano's summer food scene.

Montesano sulla Marcellana and the Vallo di Diano

Montesano sulla Marcellana is located in the far south of the province of Salerno, within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The municipal territory unites the hilltop village, the scattered hamlets, and the Scalo area along the road axis crossing the valley. Visitors arriving for Re Panuozzo will find the Certosa di San Lorenzo in Padula, the Pertosa-Auletta Caves, and the villages of the Vallo di Diano just a few kilometers away: another reason to turn a gastronomic evening into a weekend of discovery in inland Campania.

Visitor tips

The evenings come alive especially after 8:00 PM, when temperatures drop and the square fills up: arriving early helps avoid the longest queues at the stalls and makes it easier to find a seat. The event is free to enter and takes place entirely outdoors, making it suitable for families with children and groups of friends. As it is a very popular event, it is advisable to park in the peripheral areas of the Scalo district and walk to the square.