Scurpelle Festival and Feast of Saints Liberata and Giovanni

A village of 177 souls in celebration

San Giovanni Lipioni is one of the smallest municipalities in Abruzzo: with just over 170 inhabitants, it sits perched at 545 meters on a hill overlooking the Trigno valley, in the southernmost part of the Chieti province known as the upper Vastese. On clear days, the view stretches all the way to the Adriatic Sea. It is here, every October, that the town gathers for the Scurpelle Festival, a gastronomic and devotional event that blends local cuisine with religious tradition.

Scurpelle, the stars of the festival

Scurpelle (known in the local dialect as li scurpell) are elongated, leavened potato-based fritters. The dough is kneaded thoroughly and left to rise in a warm place until soft and pliable; on the evening of the festival, it is hand-stretched into oblong shapes and fried in abundant boiling oil. They are enjoyed hot in two versions: sweet, sprinkled with sugar, or savory, accompanied by local cold cuts. Everything is washed down with local red wine and topped off with the essential roasted chestnuts, as the festival falls right in the heart of autumn, the peak of the chestnut season.

The Feast of Saints Liberata and Giovanni

The festival is inextricably linked to the Feast of Saints Liberata and Giovanni, the town's patron saints. On Sunday, the statues of the saints are carried in a procession from the mother church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, at the top of the village, to the rural chapel dedicated to them, accompanied by a marching band. In the past, the feast, celebrated around October 18th, was preceded by a large livestock fair that drew visitors from neighboring towns: a sign of how central this event was to the life of the community.

Who organizes and where

The event is organized by the Pro Loco of San Giovanni Lipioni with the involvement of the local community and parish. The heart of the festival is Piazza Largo del Popolo, where from late afternoon, scurpelle are fried and served amidst live music and popular cheer. It is the perfect opportunity to discover an authentic and little-known corner of the Abruzzo hinterland, far from the usual tourist circuits, where farming traditions and devotion to the patron saints remain deeply alive.