San Martino Valle Caudina Carnival

The San Martino Valle Caudina Carnival

Every winter, the San Martino Valle Caudina Carnival transforms the town center into a grand festival space. In this Irpinian town, nestled at the foot of the Partenio mountains and overlooking the Valle Caudina, the event is more than just a moment of joy: it is when local associations, the Pro Loco, and families gather in the square to renew a popular tradition that belongs to the entire community.

The format follows that of traditional inland Campania carnivals: no large stages, but squares and streets that become a natural stage for masks, live music, and traditional dances. The heart of the event is Piazza Europa, while the colder or rainier days are hosted in the Sala UNICEF - Ex Eca, an indoor municipal venue.

Float parades, bottari, and folk groups

The hallmark of the San Martino festival is its deep bond with the folklore of the Valle Caudina, a territory straddling the provinces of Avellino and Benevento where carnival traditions are still very much alive and practiced by organized groups. The Carnival editions typically feature:

• the bottari, who set the rhythm by striking barrels, vats, and scythes according to an ancient rural sound tradition;
• papier-mâché floats, crafted by local master artisans and paraded through the town streets;
• the Zeza, a traditional Campanian sung farce, performed by groups from Rotondi;
• the Quadriglia and the N'drezzata, folk dances performed by the CervinBallo group and the Pro Loco of Cervinara;
• marching bands from the district, accompanying Shrove Tuesday with popular repertoires.

A festival designed for families

The San Martino Valle Caudina Carnival has a distinctly family-oriented spirit. The program reserves ample space for children with entertainment, inflatables, face painting, mascots, and workshops curated by local associations. This is a deliberate choice: to keep the festival accessible, free, and widespread, so that every age group can participate without barriers. The square remains the meeting place, where children's masks mingle with the costumes of the folk groups.

San Martino Valle Caudina, between Partenio and Irpinia

With just over four thousand inhabitants, San Martino Valle Caudina is one of the villages that make up the Irpinian side of the Valle Caudina, in Campania. The town is dominated by its medieval castle and mother church, and is located a short distance from Cervinara, Rotondi, and Montesarchio: a system of municipalities that share language, cuisine, and a festive calendar. For this reason, the Carnival is not an isolated event but a piece of a network of Caudina gatherings that animate the period between January and Lent.

Visitors from outside will find an authentic carnival, far from the tourist logic of major national events: here, the festival is experienced shoulder-to-shoulder with the residents, between a round of 'bottari' music and a dish of traditional Irpinian country cuisine.

When it takes place

The event follows the movable calendar of Carnival: dates change every year and are concentrated between the end of January and early March, with events on Carnival Sunday, Monday, and especially Shrove Tuesday, which closes the cycle of celebrations. The detailed program is released by the Municipality of San Martino Valle Caudina and the Sistema Irpinia portal of the Province of Avellino in the preceding weeks.