Sant'Egidio Fair and Festival

A fair spanning over six centuries

The Sant'Egidio Fair and Festival is one of the oldest events in Irpinia: the first records date back to 1416. Since then, the appointment has been renewed every year in the final days of August in Montefusco, a small town in the province of Avellino, Campania. The ancient inter-provincial fair has always been held in the square in front of the church and the Capuchin convent, which everyone in Montefusco simply calls Sant'Egidio: a borderland between the village and the countryside, historically a meeting point for merchants, artisans, and farmers from across the Mezzogiorno.

The flag ritual and historical pageant

The opening is marked by a ritual the town has repeated for generations: the flag ritual, with the century-old banner of the Fair carried in a procession from the village center to Sant'Egidio, preceded by the roll of drums and accompanied by the mayor, municipal guards, and a pageant in period costumes. According to local legend, the event originated from the theft of the banner of the great Melito fair, carried out by two prisoners sent by the Podestà in exchange for their freedom: hence the saying, still repeated today, that where the flag goes, the fair follows.

The market fair

Alongside the ritual aspect, the event's commercial vocation remains vibrant. The fair hosts dozens of exhibitors in a large open-air area, featuring crafts, agricultural machinery, household goods, jewelry, footwear and leather goods, plants and flowers, and local products. Admission is free, and it is one of the few occasions where small Irpinian businesses present and sell directly to the public without intermediaries.

The festival: the flavors of Irpinia

The Sant'Egidio Festival, which reached its 46th edition in 2025, is the gastronomic heart of the event and takes place in the evening, with stands staying open late. The menu features the most authentic Irpinian peasant cuisine:

• fusilli alla francesana, the festival's signature dish;
• pork with peppers;
• bean crostone;
• caciocavallo impiccato, melted over embers;
• traditional desserts and local wines.

Vegetarian options are also available, ensuring the festival caters to diverse tastes while maintaining its traditional repertoire.

Folk music, wine, and culture

Evenings are punctuated by Southern folk music groups that animate the square until late, as well as cultural events that have expanded the program in recent years: educational walks dedicated to stargazing and wine tastings, with a special focus on Greco di Tufo, one of the oenological excellences of this corner of Irpinia. It is a way to share the agricultural landscape around Montefusco with visitors.

Montefusco, capital of the Principato Ultra

The village hosting the fair is no ordinary setting. Montefusco stands atop an isolated hill dominating the Valle del Sabato and served as the capital of the Principato Ultra from 1284 to 1806: hence its nickname, the balcony of Irpinia, for the panoramic views over the surrounding mountains. The Capuchin convent, dedicated to the Madonna delle Grazie and linked in local devotion to the figure of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, was built starting in 1625, when the people of Montefusco invited the friars to settle in the town: the fair, already ancient at the time, took place just a few steps away.

Why visit

The Sant'Egidio Fair and Festival is one of those events where the patronal feast, the market, and the food festival have not yet separated. Over three days, you can experience the historical memory of the pageant, the real economy of the market fair, and home-style cooking served at the stands: a sincere portrait of inland Campania, far from the tourist routes of the coast and a short distance from Avellino and Benevento.