Romantic Night in the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy in Cusano Mutri
The Matese village dresses in love: suspended music, serenades, poetry, and the midnight kiss
About Romantic Night
A night dedicated to love in the Matese village
The Romantic Night is a national event that, each year around the summer solstice, lights up over two hundred villages certified by the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy association. In 2026, the chosen date was Saturday, June 20, and for the first time, Cusano Mutri—a town of just over 3,700 inhabitants nestled 450 meters high on the southern slopes of the Matese in the province of Benevento, Campania—was among the protagonists.
The village is naturally suited for such an evening: winding alleys, wide stone staircases, arches, and carved stone doorways define a medieval layout that has remained almost intact. With dimmed lights and candles on windowsills, that stone labyrinth becomes a ready-made stage.
The 2026 theme: «Love and Memories»
The Municipality of Cusano Mutri built its first Romantic Night around the theme «Love and Memories»: not just romantic love, but the emotional memory of a community and its cherished places. From 8:00 PM to midnight, the historic center was filled with music, installations, readings, serenades, and themed gastronomic offerings.
Particularly original was the Community Emotional Mapping, a participatory workshop at the Via Roma Info Point held with the University of Naples Federico II: citizens and visitors identified the places they are most attached to and shared their wishes for the village's future.
The Romantic Balcony: scenery created by the residents
The Romantic Balcony contest was launched by the municipal administration in the preceding weeks. The idea: to ask residents and historic center property owners to decorate balconies, windows, windowsills, and corners overlooking the alleys with flowers, soft lighting, candles, and fabrics, turning every facade into a small stage.
- Free registration by June 15, 2026, with decorations completed by June 18
- Four awards offered by local businesses (dinner, pizza, aperitif, breakfast for two)
- First prize «Enchantment under the stars»: romantic dinner for two at the Locanda del Tartufo, with the award ceremony in Piazza Roma
Suspended music, serenades, and local love stories
The program alternated music and storytelling, with artists moving from square to square and playing from the balconies, following the 'suspended music' concept: the Waltz of Love by Lorenzo and Loris, the Nocturnal Serenades by Annamaria Barile at the Tree of Sighs, the violin of Lorenzo Salvatore, and the voices of Antonella Orsino and Gaetano Orsino.
The storytelling aspect, rooted in local memory, was also carefully curated: the story of Ferdinando and Norina narrated by Alessandra Simeone; The Thread of History, dedicated to Libera's tapestry made with hundreds of love postcards; the tale of Pasquale and Mariantonia performed in Piazza Roma; and an imaginary meeting between Giuseppe Casella and Giacomo Leopardi in Piazza Orticelli. The setting was completed by three widespread installations: the Tree of Sighs in Piazza Orticelli, with poems and literary excerpts hanging from its branches, Poetry Chairs in the alleys, and Romantic Corners for couples to pause.
The flavors of love
Eleven historic center businesses offered creations designed for the occasion: the Thought of Love dessert, the Two Hearts and a Toast drink, the heart-shaped Passion Red pizza, and fresh truffle pasta. Truffles and Matese mushrooms remain the gastronomic signature of Cusano Mutri, a town known in Campania for its Mushroom Festival.
Cusano Mutri's debut among the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy
This edition held special symbolic value: Cusano Mutri joined the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy circuit following a national board resolution in December 2025, after an evaluation based on 72 parameters. The flag was presented on May 4, 2026, during a public ceremony: the Romantic Night on June 20 was the first major national event experienced by the village with its new recognition.
Beyond the evening, the village deserves a slow visit: the stone historic center, the views over the Titerno valley, and its proximity to the Matese Regional Park make it an ideal base in the Sannio area of Benevento.
Romantic Night — edition 2026
2026 Edition — «Love and Memories»
On Saturday, June 20, 2026, Cusano Mutri participated for the first time in the Romantic Night of the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy, just months after its official entry into the national circuit (December 2025) and the public flag presentation on May 4, 2026.
From 8:00 PM to midnight, the stone-built historic center became an open-air stage: music in every street, artists performing from balconies, nocturnal serenades, poetry readings hanging from the Tree of Sighs, poetry chairs, and romantic corners in the alleys. The common thread was the village's emotional memory, told through three local love stories — Ferdinando and Norina, Libera's tapestry, and Pasquale and Mariantonia — and through the participatory Community Emotional Mapping workshop held with the University of Naples Federico II.
The evening was also shaped by the residents, thanks to the 'Romantic Balcony' contest which brought flowers, lights, and candles to balconies and windowsills; the four awards, including the 'Enchantment under the stars' first prize, were presented in Piazza Roma. The grand finale featured Southern folk dance schools and a midnight kiss flash mob in Piazza Orticelli. Free admission.
Programme Romantic Night 2026
Saturday, June 20, 2026 — Historic center of Cusano Mutri
- 8:00 PM — Sound of Love: music throughout the historic center
- All evening — Community Emotional Mapping: participatory workshop at the Via Roma Info Point, in collaboration with the University of Naples Federico II; citizens and visitors share cherished places, memories, and wishes for the village's future
- 8:45 PM — Suspended Music / Waltz of Love: performance by Lorenzo and Loris from the balcony, followed by roaming performances
- 9:00 PM — A Simple Love: Alessandra Simeone tells the story of Ferdinando and Norina, from the writings of Professor Gioconda Fappiano; followed by a Nocturnal Serenade by Annamaria Barile at the Tree of Sighs, Piazza Orticelli
- 9:15 PM: Antonella Orsino sings from the balcony
- 9:30 PM — The Thread of History: Lorenzo Salvatore's violin accompanies the story of Libera's tapestry, made with hundreds of love postcards, read by Maria Concetta Petrillo in Via Roma (Taverna del Conte)
- 10:00 PM — Pasquale and Mariantonia: storytelling in Piazza Roma with a theatrical performance by Sara and Paride, followed by a Nocturnal Serenade and the 'Romantic Balcony' contest awards
- 10:30 PM: Lorenzo Salvatore's violin at Bar Pasticceria Petrillo; then, in Piazza Orticelli, performances by Antonella Orsino and Loris, and an imaginary meeting between Giuseppe Casella and Giacomo Leopardi performed by Gaetano Orsino
- Grand finale: performance by Southern folk dance schools directed by Giovanna Iannotti and the Midnight Kiss flash mob with Tesolina Dance, in Piazza Orticelli
Installations open all evening
- Tree of Sighs (Piazza Orticelli): poems and literary excerpts to read
- Poetry Chairs: seating in the alleys for reading, contemplating, and photography
- Romantic Corners: small outdoor spaces for couples
Participating venues and themed offers
- Bar Pasticceria Petrillo and Pasticceria La Dolce Sosta — Thought of Love dessert
- Antichi Sapori — Two Hearts and a Toast
- La Perla del Matese — Passion Red heart-shaped pizza
- La Casa del Tartufo — fresh truffle pasta
- Millennium — seasonal dishes
- La Corte di Bacco, Bar Las Vegas (romantic aperitifs and cocktails), Taverna del Conte, Bar Centrale, Sapori dell'Arte
Romantic Balcony Contest
- Free registration for residents and historic center property owners by June 15, 2026, decorations completed by June 18
- Four awards offered by local businesses (dinner, pizza, aperitif, breakfast for two)
- First prize Enchantment under the stars: romantic dinner for two at the Locanda del Tartufo
Highlights Romantic Night 2026
- First Romantic Night of Cusano Mutri as a certified village of the 'Most Beautiful Villages of Italy'
- Theme 'Love and Memories': three local love stories told in the alleys
- Suspended music: artists performing from historic center balconies
- Tree of Sighs, Poetry Chairs, and Romantic Corners in Piazza Orticelli and the alleys
- Community Emotional Mapping with the University of Naples Federico II
- Romantic Balcony contest: balconies and windowsills decorated by residents, with awards in Piazza Roma
- Midnight kiss flash mob and Southern folk dances in Piazza Orticelli
- Eleven venues with themed desserts, pizzas, and toasts
Prices Romantic Night 2026
Practical information — Romantic Night
When
Saturday, June 20, 2026, from 8:00 PM to midnight. The Romantic Night of the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy takes place every year during the weekend of the summer solstice: the date for the following edition is announced by the Municipality and the national association.
Where
Historic center of Cusano Mutri (BN), Campania. The main hubs are Piazza Orticelli, Piazza Roma, and Via Roma, where the Info Point is also located.
How to get there
- By car: from the A1 motorway, take the Caianello exit, then the SS372 Telesina towards Benevento and exit at Sant'Agata de' Goti / Cerreto Sannita; from Naples, about 90 km. From Benevento, about 40 km along the Telesina.
- By train: reference stations are Telese-Cerreto Sannita (Caserta-Benevento line) or Benevento, then local buses towards the upper Titerno valley.
- By plane: Naples Capodichino Airport, about 1 hour and 30 minutes by car.
The historic center is pedestrian-only and uphill: comfortable shoes are recommended. On event nights, parking is available in the areas below the village, and visitors can walk up.
Admission and costs
The event is free and open to the public. Only food and drinks at participating bars, pastry shops, and restaurants are paid; reservations are recommended for smaller venues.
Where to stay
In Cusano Mutri and the hamlets of Civitella Licinio and Bocca della Selva, you can find B&Bs, farm stays, and vacation homes; other options are available in Cerreto Sannita, Pietraroja, and Telese Terme, all a short distance away.
Information
Municipality of Cusano Mutri, tel. +39 0824 862003, [email protected], www.comune.cusanomutri.bn.it
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Where does it take place — Romantic Night
Centro storico di Cusano Mutri (Piazza Orticelli, Piazza Roma, Via Roma)
Centro storico, Piazza Orticelli, 82033 Cusano Mutri