Shepherd's Festival

The festival celebrating the Matese shepherd

In Roccamandolfi, a village perched on the slopes of the Matese mountains in the province of Isernia, the Festa del Pastore (Shepherd's Festival) is the annual tribute to an ancient craft and the transhumance culture that has shaped the Molise landscape. The event, traditionally held on the second-to-last Sunday of July, takes place on the Pianoro di Campitello, a high-altitude mountain pasture where flocks arrive from the early morning hours.

Ancient gestures and authentic flavours

The heart of the day features demonstrations of traditional pastoral practices: milking, shearing, and marking livestock – gestures that Matese shepherds have passed down through generations. Around the demonstration area, food stands offer the products of this land – fresh and aged cheeses, freshly milked milk, roast lamb, polenta, and legume soups – in a feast for the senses that brings together local families and the many visitors who ascend to the plateau.

A guardian of the inland areas

Organized by the Orizzonti del Matese association, the event also serves as a forum for discussing the future of inland mountain areas: promoting local products, rural tourism, and landscape conservation. It's an event of identity that, every summer, revives the bond between Roccamandolfi and its mountain.