San Martino Fair

The oldest fair in the province of Caserta

The San Martino Fair is the defining event for Piedimonte Matese, a town of about eleven thousand inhabitants at the foot of the Matese massif in the province of Caserta, Campania. Held annually on November 10th and 11th—the days the rural calendar celebrates Saint Martin of Tours—it is widely considered the oldest fair in the Caserta territory. Its origins date back to the Middle Ages, when Southern Italian towns organized markets and fairs to coincide with saints' days and the end of the agricultural year; local historical records suggest its establishment was reaffirmed by a decree in 1824.

A festival born from the land

For centuries, November 11th marked the end of the agricultural cycle: harvests were sold, land contracts were renewed, and tools and seeds were purchased for the coming season. The Piedimonte fair was primarily a major market for livestock, seeds, and equipment, drawing farmers and breeders from across the Volturno Valley and the Molise side of the Matese. While its economic function has evolved over time, the structure of the day remains the same: arrive early, browse the stalls, enjoy street food, and head home with the year's provisions.

Piazza Roma and the town center

The heart of the event is Piazza Roma, in front of the town hall, but in recent years the fair has expanded to via Caruso, via Caso, via Don Bosco, piazza Europa, and piazza De Gasperi, reaching as far as the municipal park. Exhibitors cover a wide range of sectors: handicrafts, food and wine, local commerce, plant nurseries, and, in recent years, innovation and technology, with local high schools showcasing their laboratories to the public.

Campagna Amica, animals, and workshops

For several years, the municipal administration has organized the fair in partnership with Coldiretti Caserta and the Campagna Amica network. This has led to the most popular sections for families:

• the farmers' market with zero-mile cheeses, cured meats, honey, preserves, and traditional sweets;
• the petting zoo, featuring cattle, buffalo, goats, horses, donkeys, and barnyard animals;
• educational workshops for children, focused on the colors of the earth, seeds, extra virgin olive oil, and the water cycle;
• the olive press in the square and guided tasting sessions for freshly pressed oil;
• rural street food, featuring the essential roasted chestnuts and San Martino nougat.

New oil, new wine, and devotion

Alongside the fair, the religious dimension remains vibrant. The statue of Saint Martin, kept in the church of San Filippo, is carried in procession on the afternoon of November 11th, followed by a mass and, in Piazza Annunziata, the blessing of the new oil and wine—symbols of a territory closing one year and beginning another. It is the moment when the secular and devotional aspects of the festival unite, with live music accompanying the evening.

Folk music and Matese folklore

The musical program highlights the folk repertoire of the Sannio and Matese regions: folk groups, tammorra and pizzica music, roaming bands, and performances by students from the local music high school. There are also conferences dedicated to quality agriculture, food safety, and the promotion of local products, with the participation of Coldiretti, the University of Naples Federico II, and the Campania Region.

Why it's worth the trip

The San Martino Fair is not a tourist-trap event; it is the day Piedimonte Matese celebrates its own identity, with schools often closed and families out in the streets from the early morning. For those visiting the Matese Regional Park in autumn, it is the best opportunity to understand the bond between the town and the mountains, taste the new olive oil, and take home a piece of rural Campania.