Settembre ai Fichi

Settembre ai Fichi, the Cilento agro-festival

Settembre ai Fichi is the event that transforms San Mauro Cilento — a small town in the province of Salerno, Campania — into the capital of the Cilento White Fig PDO every year in early September. It is not just another food festival: the organizers have called it an agro-festival from the start, because the focus is not just on the dish, but on the entire supply chain that makes it possible: the farmers, the terraced gardens, the cooperative, the processing workshops, and the artisans.

The formula is simple and well-established: five days during which the village of Casalsottano opens up to visitors with stalls featuring local products, tastings, meetings with producers, and a different concert every evening.

The Cilento White Fig PDO, the absolute star

The Dottato variety fig is one of the most iconic products of Cilento: grown for centuries on the hills overlooking the sea, it is harvested at the end of summer and sun-dried according to ancient methods. At Settembre ai Fichi, you can taste it in all its forms: fresh, just picked; oven-dried; 'mbaccato, meaning paired and stuffed according to peasant tradition; or combined with almonds, walnuts, honey, chocolate, or ricotta. There is no shortage of contemporary twists by local chefs, who even incorporate the fig into savory dishes and gourmet desserts.

• Guided tastings of fresh, dried, and processed figs
• White Fig PDO paired with cheeses, cured meats, extra virgin olive oil, and Cilento wines
• Culinary workshops dedicated to traditional fig preparation
• Show cooking and meetings with Slow Food Presidium producers

A village that becomes a stage

The agro-festival is not confined to a single enclosed space: it spreads along the streets, alleys, and small squares of Casalsottano, involving local shops, museums, churches, and the headquarters of the Nuovo Cilento Agricultural Cooperative in the Ortale area, where the food and wine laboratory and the Al Frantoio restaurant are located. Recent editions have also included historical walks in Casalsoprano and gourmet hiking tours, linking the food to the agricultural landscape that produces it.

Folk music, cabaret, and evenings in the square

Every evening, the agro-festival features a different concert, with a clear focus on Cilento folk music: tarantellas, tammurriatas, traditional begging songs, and local folk groups, accompanied by local bands and cabaret nights. The music keeps the audience entertained late into the night, when tastings give way to dancing in the village squares. There are also games and activities for children, making the event suitable for families.

Who organizes it

The event is promoted by the RigeneraMente ETS association in collaboration with the Nuovo Cilento Agricultural Cooperative, a historic entity in San Mauro Cilento active for over fifteen years in promoting extra virgin olive oil and local products. The event is sponsored by the Municipality of San Mauro Cilento and the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. The stated goals are clear: to support local producers, extend the tourist season beyond the August peak, and raise awareness of the historical village's cultural heritage.

Why visit

Settembre ai Fichi is a great reason to discover the inland Cilento when the sea is still warm but the beaches have emptied out. Visitors will find an authentic village, honest prices, producers eager to share their work, and a sense of conviviality that still reflects the spirit of traditional towns. It is also an opportunity to understand firsthand why the Mediterranean diet was born right here, between Pioppi and Acciaroli, just a few kilometers from San Mauro Cilento.