Santa Lucia White Night

A night of light in the Alto Casertano village

Every year, in the days leading up to December 13th, Tora e Piccilli—a small town of just over a thousand inhabitants in the province of Caserta, Campania—dedicates an entire evening to Saint Lucy. The Santa Lucia White Night is now one of the most heartfelt and appreciated events in the Alto Casertano: it goes beyond the religious observance, transforming the entire village into a widespread path of lights, flavors, and encounters that continues late into the evening.

The village is naturally suited for such a celebration. Nestled on the slopes of the extinct Roccamonfina volcano at an altitude of about 340 meters and historically crossed by the Via Latina, Tora e Piccilli features small squares, narrow alleys, and vistas that fill with candles and illuminations as darkness falls. The scale is that of a close-knit community, and this is exactly what makes the evening so distinctive.

From traditional fair to White Night

The event has its roots in the traditional Santa Lucia Fair, a historic fixture of the local calendar linked to the night between December 12th and 13th, when, according to popular devotion, the Saint brings gifts and sweets to children. In recent years, that tradition—which also passed through formats like Christmas in the Village—has progressively evolved into the current White Night: a single long evening where the town center remains open and lively, with multiple points of interest distributed across squares, courtyards, and village streets.

The result is a hybrid celebration that combines the spiritual and historical dimension linked to the figure of Saint Lucy with the convivial and popular spirit of a town coming together. It is a formula that works here: the 2025 edition was described by the local press as a broad and well-attended success.

What brings the evening to life

• Food stalls managed by the most active local associations, featuring regional specialties and traditional Casertano peasant cuisine;
• Moments linked to the devotion to Saint Lucy, the patron saint of eyesight, which is deeply rooted in the towns of the Alto Casertano;
• Lights, candles, and decorations along the alleys, which give the White Night its very name;
• Entertainment for families and children, with the village transformed into a pedestrian-friendly route;
• Hospitality for camper enthusiasts, who have become a significant presence at the event in recent years;
• Support from the Civil Protection and local volunteers, ensuring safety along the route.

A locally-driven organization

The coordination of the event is entrusted to the Municipal Administration of Tora e Piccilli: the 2025 edition was organized and coordinated by Deputy Mayor Simona Fracasso, with the direct involvement of the town's network of associations. These associations are not mere service providers, but the true engine of the festival: they manage the stalls, handle the decorations, and mobilize the volunteers.

It was during the 2025 White Night that the return of the Siege of the Tower was announced, the historical re-enactment that many consider the most beautiful and engaging event in the Alto Casertano: a sign of how the Tora e Piccilli event calendar is consolidating.

A village worth the trip

Those who arrive for the White Night discover a town that has much to tell even out of season. In the Foresta hamlet, one can find the famous Ciampate del Diavolo (Devil's Footprints), fossilized hominid tracks imprinted in the pyroclastic deposits of the Roccamonfina volcano, which popular legend attributed to the passage of the devil. The territory is part of the Roccamonfina - Foce Garigliano Regional Park, and the village itself hosts the Forestàte festival in summer, dedicated to the dialogue between music, theater, and landscape.

Visiting Tora e Piccilli in December therefore means combining the festival with a walk in a corner of Campania still little touched by mass tourism.

When it takes place

The event is traditionally held close to December 13th, the day of Saint Lucy, usually on the weekend nearest to the date. In 2025, the White Night took place on Saturday, December 13th. The dates for the next edition are usually announced in the preceding weeks through the Municipality's channels and the local Alto Casertano press: it is advisable to check them before setting off.