Sagra 'ri Fasul Festival
The bean festival of Casalbuono, a Slow Food Presidium of the Vallo di Diano
About Sagra 'ri Fasul
A festival born from rural tradition
Some festivals are manufactured, while others are born from hard work. The Sagra 'ri Fasul in Casalbuono, located in the Vallo di Diano (Salerno province), undoubtedly belongs to the latter. The full dialect name is «sagra ri fasul scucchiulariedd»: beans to be threshed and shelled, those that were freed from their dry pods at the end of summer. For generations, shelling was a collective village ritual—a task families performed together outdoors, accompanied by chatter and songs. Over time, this daily chore evolved into a full-fledged event, yet it has retained its original name and rural spirit.
The first edition dates back to the early 1980s. By 2011, the village was celebrating its 30th edition, a sign of rare continuity for a town of just over a thousand inhabitants. Today, the festival is organized by the Pro Loco Casalbuono in collaboration with the Municipality of Casalbuono and local farms and restaurants.
The Casalbuono bean, a Slow Food Presidium
The true star of the festival is a legume that has been cultivated in Casalbuono since the 13th century, according to local sources. The mild climate along the Calore river, the fields sheltered from cold winds, and the abundance of natural springs have made this corner of Campania a prime territory for beans—so much so that they were once called «the meat of the poor» for their role as a vital protein source in the peasant diet.
Of the thirteen historical ecotypes, seven have been recovered and preserved, now united under the Slow Food Presidium for Casalbuono beans. The most well-known are:
- Sant'antere — a climbing variety with kidney-shaped seeds, beige background, and reddish-brown streaks;
- Panzariedda — also a climbing variety, with round seeds that are half white and half beige.
The village sits on the edge of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, at an altitude of about 660 meters, just a few kilometers from the border with Basilicata. This setting explains why the local mountain cuisine consists of hearty, simple dishes deeply rooted in the land.
What to eat
During the festival evenings, beans are not just a side dish but the heart of the menu. Stalls offer thick legume soups, lasagne with bean sauce, rustic salads, and stewed beans with pork rind and chili: homemade recipes, cooked in large quantities, that reflect the local concept of simple, nutritious peasant food. Alongside the tastings, local farms have stalls where you can purchase Presidium beans and other typical products from the Vallo di Diano.
Music, dancing, and the shelling ritual
The culinary experience is accompanied by traditional music, folk dances, and performances that evoke the rural life of the past. The most characteristic moment remains the public shelling: on Ferragosto, the women of the village gather in the square to open the pods and extract the fresh seeds in front of the audience. It is the moment when the festival reveals its most authentic nature—a celebration that continues to showcase a labor of love rather than replacing it with mere entertainment.
A village to discover around the festival
Casalbuono is one of those villages you visit in half an hour but remember for a long time: narrow alleys, stone houses, and the silence of the surrounding Vallo di Diano mountains. During the festival, the village fills with visitors from neighboring towns—Montesano sulla Marcellana, Buonabitacolo, Padula with its famous Certosa di San Lorenzo—and nearby Basilicata. The event is part of the summer calendar shared by the local Pro Loco associations, promoted under the title "I Borghi dei Sanseverino in Festa".
Sagra 'ri Fasul — edition 2026
Sagra 'ri Fasul 2026: August 12-15
For 2026, the Sagra 'ri Fasul occupies the entire Ferragosto week in Casalbuono, Salerno province: local sources indicate the period of August 12-15, with the core of the festivities concentrated as always on the central evenings and the public shelling of beans on the 15th.
The structure of the event remains the same: food stalls set up in the town center, dishes based on certified local beans, and the presence of local farms and catering operators under the coordination of the Pro Loco Casalbuono. Alongside the tastings, there will be traditional music and folk dancing.
The festival is included in the «I Borghi dei Sanseverino in Festa» summer program, the shared calendar of the Vallo di Diano Pro Loco associations presented in Padula, which brings together events from the district's municipalities during July and August.
The detailed program—opening hours of the stalls, shows, and musical guests—is released by the organizers in the days immediately preceding the event through the Pro Loco's social media channels: it is advisable to check there for last-minute updates.
Programme Sagra 'ri Fasul 2026
The detailed program for the 2026 edition (stall opening times, shows, and musical guests) has not yet been published by the organizers. The confirmed elements at the moment are as follows.
- August 12-15, 2026 — festival period in Casalbuono, with evening opening of food stalls in the town center.
- Tastings — dishes based on certified local beans: legume soups, lasagne with bean sauce, rustic salads, stewed beans with pork rind and chili.
- Producers' Market — stalls from Casalbuono farms featuring Slow Food Presidium beans and other typical Vallo di Diano products.
- Music and folk dancing — traditional entertainment for the evenings.
- August 15 — the scucchiulatura, the public shelling of beans in the square, a symbolic moment that gives the festival its name.
Updates on the Pro Loco Casalbuono Facebook page and at the Municipality (tel. +39 0975 862025).
Highlights Sagra 'ri Fasul 2026
- Four days of celebration during Ferragosto in a village of just over a thousand inhabitants in the Vallo di Diano.
- The Casalbuono bean, a Slow Food Presidium, with the Sant'antere and Panzariedda ecotypes.
- The shelling ritual in the square on August 15, a peasant tradition that gives the event its name.
- Authentic mountain cuisine: soups, bean lasagne, stewed beans with pork rind and chili.
- Direct sale of Presidium beans by local producers.
Prices Sagra 'ri Fasul 2026
Practical information — Sagra 'ri Fasul
How to get there
By car: A2 del Mediterraneo Motorway, exit at Casalbuono or Padula-Buonabitacolo, then follow signs for the town center. Casalbuono is located at an altitude of about 660 meters at the southern end of the Vallo di Diano, a few kilometers from the border with Basilicata (Lagonegro).
By train: the nearest station is Sapri, on the Tyrrhenian line, about fifty kilometers away; from there, you must continue by car or local bus connections.
Parking and access
Parking areas are located at the edge of the town. During festival evenings, the historic center is largely pedestrianized, so it is advisable to arrive a little early.
Costs
As with most village festivals in the Vallo di Diano, entry to the event is free; you only pay for what you consume at the food stalls. Price lists for the current edition are announced by the organizers shortly before the event.
Where to stay
Accommodation in Casalbuono is limited to a few facilities. It is advisable to look in the nearby towns of Montesano sulla Marcellana, Buonabitacolo, Padula, and Sanza, or at agritourisms within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park.
Contacts
Pro Loco Casalbuono — tel. +39 345 1542204, Facebook page "Prolococasalbuono2019". Municipality of Casalbuono — tel. +39 0975 862025.
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Where does it take place — Sagra 'ri Fasul
Centro storico e piazze di Casalbuono