Sangro Chefs Festival

The home of Italy's chefs

Perched in the Province of Chieti, on the edge of the Majella National Park and along the Sangro Valley, the town of Villa Santa Maria is known throughout Italy as the "home of chefs." For over five centuries, the village has trained generations of cooks and culinary masters: a vocation born at the end of the 16th century thanks to the feudal Caracciolo family and consolidated over time with the establishment of the prestigious "G. Marchitelli" hospitality school. Every autumn, this gastronomic identity is celebrated with the Chefs Festival, an event that blends culinary art, faith, and popular tradition.

Saint Francis Caracciolo, patron saint of chefs

The event is dedicated to Saint Francis Caracciolo, who was born in Villa Santa Maria on October 13, 1563, and proclaimed the patron saint of Italian chefs in 1996. The most poignant moment of the festival is the procession with the saint's urn, carried through the village streets by chefs in uniform, wearing their traditional toque blanche. Alongside the religious dimension, which includes a solemn Mass at the Church of San Nicola di Bari, the festival hosts the welcoming of the Votive Oil, a ceremony that links Villa Santa Maria to chef communities from other Italian regions.

Cooking shows, tastings, and culinary crafts

For three days, the historic center transforms into a large open-air laboratory. The traditional program includes:

• Cooking shows and demonstrations by great Abruzzo and national chefs;
• Tastings of local products, extra virgin olive oils, cheeses, and regional wines;
• Seminars dedicated to truffles and the excellent products of the Sangro Valley;
• Bartending contests and junior competitions reserved for hospitality school students;
• Gala dinners prepared by established chefs and students from the "Marchitelli" institute.

During the event, it is possible to visit the Cook's Museum, which preserves documents, tools, and memories of the great local chefs, and to discover the hospitality school, the heart of the village's culinary training.

A tradition that attracts thousands of visitors

Organized by the Sangro Valley Chefs Association together with the Municipality of Villa Santa Maria, with the support of the Regional Union of Abruzzo Chefs, the Chefs Festival has grown over time to attract thousands of people from all over Abruzzo and neighboring regions. Each edition is dedicated to a leading figure in Abruzzo cuisine and represents an opportunity to rediscover the deep bond between an entire town and the profession of cooking.