Taburno Bean Festival

A festival at the foot of the Taburno

Some festivals tell the story of a territory better than any guidebook, and the Taburno Bean Festival is one of them. It takes place in Campoli del Monte Taburno, a town of a few hundred inhabitants in the province of Benevento, Campania, perched at about 440 meters above sea level on the slopes of the Taburno-Camposauro massif—the mountain that the Samnites have always called the "Sleeping Beauty of Sannio." The heart of the event is Piazza La Marmora, the village's main square, from which the festivities spill out into the alleys of the historic center, filled with food stalls, grills, local producers, and music stages.

The Taburno bean, the absolute star

The product celebrated is a small, slightly flattened white bean with a very thin skin and a delicate flavor. Grown on terraces between 450 and 1,000 meters in altitude and harvested at the end of September, it is one of those legumes that needs no heavy seasoning to be memorable. For the families of Campoli, it is much more than an ingredient: it is peasant memory, domestic economy, and identity. The festival was born precisely to defend this niche crop and restore its rightful place in Campanian cuisine, with a strictly farm-to-table approach.

At the table: festival dishes

The menu follows Sannio tradition, without shortcuts or exoticism. Local volunteers and cooks take turns at the stoves, and the stands typically offer:

• Lavanelle with beans, the handmade fresh pasta that is the festival's signature dish
• Bean soup and beans with sausage
• Beans and tripe, a classic 'cucina povera' (peasant cuisine) recovery recipe
• Pork loin with seasoned potatoes
• Sausage sandwiches and grilled meats
• Montanara with bean cream, a reinterpreted fried pizza
• Bean-based desserts, ranging from traditional recipes to local pastry experiments

The dishes are paired with local wines: we are in the heart of the Taburno denomination, a land of Aglianico and Falanghina, and the choice of wine is never a secondary detail.

Music, theater, and the "Vineyard Aperitif"

The formula combines gastronomy and entertainment. In recent editions, the program has alternated between folk groups and dance orchestras in the evenings, theatrical and musical entertainment on Sunday afternoons, and a new feature that immediately won over visitors: the "Vineyard Aperitif", a guided walk that starts from Piazza La Marmora, crosses the historic center, and ends in the vineyards with a tasting of local wines and specialties. Places are limited and booking is mandatory: it is the best way to understand how the agricultural landscape and the table are one and the same here.

A Bio-Festival: sustainability as a choice

The event has earned the Bio-Festival recognition, which certifies its focus on environmentally and economically sustainable consumption: short supply chains, low-impact materials, and the promotion of local producers. It is a choice consistent with the nature of the event, which aims not to be just another fair, but a collective narrative of an agricultural community.

Pro Loco "Monte Taburno": half a century of volunteering

Behind the festival is the Pro Loco "Monte Taburno" APS, which celebrated fifty years of activity in 2025 and organizes the event under the patronage of the Municipality of Campoli del Monte Taburno and Unpli Benevento. The program also includes a moment for reflection—conferences and public meetings—on the role of Pro Loco associations in small inland communities: a far from abstract issue in towns fighting against depopulation every day.

Campoli del Monte Taburno and the Sannio to discover

Those arriving for the festival should treat themselves to a few extra hours. Campoli preserves a compact historic center with views over the plain and trails leading up toward the Taburno, a destination for hikers and trekking enthusiasts. A few kilometers away, the Valle Telesina, local wineries, and the villages of Sannio open up: an ideal itinerary for an autumn weekend, when the woods change color and the markets fill with chestnuts, new oil, and legumes.

When it takes place

The festival is traditionally held on the first weekend of October, over two days (Saturday and Sunday), immediately after the bean harvest. Admission is free: you only pay for what you consume at the stands, at popular prices.