Sagra dei Fiuriddi e Ruspitieddi

A festival born from Cilento's humble cuisine

The Sagra dei Fiuriddi e Ruspitieddi is the food festival that every summer brings the town of Montano Antilia, in the province of Salerno (Campania), together around two extremely simple, identity-defining dishes. The fiuriddi are the characteristic courgette flowers, served fried, stuffed, in batter or baked; the ruspitieddi are small fried treats from Cilento's country tradition, which local accounts also describe in a version made with anchovy. Two dishes born of making the most of very little, now the main draw of four festive nights.

The Chiaia woods, a setting that makes all the difference

The festival does not take place in the town square but in the woods at the Chiaia locality, the equipped green area next to the municipal sports ground. Alders and chestnut trees form a natural canopy over the tables, at around 700 metres above sea level: even on the hottest August evenings the air stays cool, which is why many visitors from the Cilento coast head inland during these very days. Parking at the sports ground is ample and free.

What's on the menu

The food is entirely prepared by local volunteers and cooks, working from home recipes. The menu at recent editions has included:

• Fiuriddi — courgette flowers, fried, stuffed, in batter, baked or grilled
• Ruspitieddi — the small fried treats that give the festival its name
• Hand-made fusilli and cavatelli, Cilento's pasta par excellence
• Sausage with potatoes and soffritto
• Aubergine parmigiana and seasonal side dishes
• Homemade bread, local cheeses
• Scauratielli and other traditional sweets
• Local Cilento wine

Music and atmosphere

Every evening the food is accompanied by live music, following the tried-and-tested formula of Cilento village festivals: dinner unfolds at a leisurely pace, then everyone drifts towards the stage. This is not a music festival but a community celebration where the tarantella and local folk groups share the bill with dance music. The event is family-friendly, and the green setting makes the evening comfortable even with children in tow.

Who organises it

Behind the festival is the "M. Cavallo" Onlus Association, the most active community group in Montano Antilia, which runs the event under the patronage of the town council. It has a long history — local accounts document numbered editions many years back — interrupted by a four-year break and revived in 2024 to great turnout. Proceeds support the association's activities in the local area.

Around the festival: Montano Antilia and Cilento National Park

Montano Antilia is a small town of just under two thousand inhabitants at the foot of Monte Gelbison, between the Mingardo and Lambro valleys, within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. Its hamlets, Abatemarco and Massicelle, in turn have a summer calendar full of festivals. Those coming for the sagra can spend a few hours in the historic centre, with its fountains and noble palazzi, at the Santissima Annunziata parish church and the famous Scala Santa (Holy Staircase), and more broadly explore an inland area far less crowded than the beaches of Palinuro and Marina di Camerota, less than half an hour away by car.

Why it's worth the trip

In a Cilento summer packed with food festivals, this one stands out for three reasons: the woodland setting, which few other events can offer; a cuisine that doesn't chase generic street food but stays true to the local country repertoire; and a genuine village hospitality, free of tourist gloss. Anyone looking for the authentic experience of inland Cilento will find it here, at the table.