Sagra de li Cicatelli Festival

An evening dedicated to the village's signature dish

In the summer calendar of the Upper Sannio, the Sagra de li Cicatelli is the event that the municipality of San Giorgio La Molara, in the Province of Benevento (Campania), dedicates to its most iconic fresh pasta. It is not a multi-day festival, but a single evening—usually in mid-July—when the small square of Via Balconi, located behind the Town Hall, transforms into a long open-air dining area managed by the volunteers of the Pro Loco San Giorgio La Molara. The food stalls open at 8:00 PM, when the temperature at an altitude of 667 meters finally becomes pleasant.

What are cicatelli?

Cicatelli (also known as cicatielli or cecatielli elsewhere) are a type of fresh pasta common throughout the Apennines between Campania, Molise, and Puglia: small, elongated gnocchi with a hollow center made by pressing with the fingertips, crafted from a simple dough of semolina, water, and salt. No eggs, no superfluous ingredients: the result depends entirely on the hands of those who shape the pasta. For this reason, the festival remains a collective effort, with the village women spending days at the kneading board. On Via Balconi, the cicatelli are served in the two traditional local versions, with tomato sauce or plain, following a recipe passed down from family to family.

The flavors of the inland Sannio

Surrounding the main dish, the evening showcases the cuisine of an agricultural territory that has always relied on grain, livestock, and domestic food production. The Pro Loco pairs the cicatelli with other typical Sannio products prepared according to ancient recipes. This is the same philosophy that drives other summer events in San Giorgio La Molara, such as the Threshing Festival and the Marchigiana Festival dedicated to the cattle breed raised on the plateau. Visitors from outside the region will find a Campania very different from the coast: more rural, cooler, and tied to the rhythm of the Fortore fields.

San Giorgio La Molara, the village

With just over three thousand inhabitants and a territory spanning over 65 square kilometers, San Giorgio La Molara is located about 20 kilometers northeast of Benevento and seventy from Naples, on the border with Puglia and the Fortore area. It is a village that bears the marks of a long history of emigration—many residents left for South Australia after the war—and the summer festivals are the moments when scattered families return and the village fills up again. In this sense, the festival serves as a community celebration even before being a gastronomic event.

How the evening unfolds

• A single evening in mid-July, starting at 8:00 PM.
• Food stalls set up on Via Balconi, in the square behind the Town Hall.
• Handmade cicatelli as the main dish, served with sauce or plain, alongside other local specialties.
• Live music in the square: in recent editions, the Pro Loco has entrusted the entertainment to local musicians.
• An informal, open-air environment, suitable for families and children.

Why it's worth a detour

The Sagra de li Cicatelli does not have the ambition of the large Campanian food and wine events, and that is exactly where its charm lies: you get to eat a dish that is hard to find handmade outside this stretch of the Apennines, you get to sit in a village square, pay a fair price, and listen to the Sannio dialect. For those spending the summer between Benevento, the Fortore, and Molise, it is one of the most authentic occasions in July.

Before you go

As this is a single-evening event organized by local volunteers, dates and details are announced with short notice on the Pro Loco's social media channels. It is advisable to check the official announcement in the days leading up to the event, especially in case of bad weather, as the festival takes place entirely outdoors.