The Gleaner's Night

The most anticipated night of the Sapri summer

When the August evenings grow long and balmy, Sapri celebrates its most famous icon with The Gleaner's Night. The event, curated by the Sapri Pro Loco led by president Luana Ficarra, takes place outdoors along the Lungomare Italia, near Viale della Spigolatrice, in the heart of the Gulf of Policastro, in the province of Salerno, Campania.

It is not a simple beauty pageant, nor is it just a concert: the evening is designed as a 360-degree cultural show where music, art, beauty, storytelling, emotion, and poetry alternate to convey the meaning of a figure who has entered the Italian collective imagination. The audience watches from seats or standing along the seaside promenade, with the illuminated bay as a backdrop to the stage.

Who is the Gleaner?

The Gleaner (Spigolatrice) is the narrator of Luigi Mercantini's verses, which tell the story of the landing of Carlo Pisacane and his three hundred companions in Sapri on the night between June 28 and 29, 1857. She is a woman who leaves the wheat field to follow with her gaze the men heading toward their destiny: humility, toil, and dignity in the face of violence and injustice are the words that still define her today.

The city has dedicated two bronze sculptures to the Gleaner. The first, created in 1994 by Gennaro Ricco, rests on the rocks looking out over the bay; the second, signed by Emanuele Stifano and installed in 2021 on the seafront, sparked significant national debate and is now one of the most photographed spots in town. The entire event revolves around these images.

The election of the new Gleaner

The most anticipated moment of the evening is the proclamation of the young woman who will represent Sapri for an entire year at public events and Pro Loco promotional initiatives. The choice does not reward appearance alone: the Gleaner must embody the identity and history of the community, and her dress is traditionally designed by a guest fashion designer.

• Presentation of the candidates and storytelling moments dedicated to the women of Cilento;
• Musical interludes and readings from Mercantini's verses;
• Presentation of the wheat sheaf, a symbolic gesture linked to gleaning;
• Passing of the torch from the outgoing Gleaner;
• Final proclamation of the new Gleaner of Sapri.

In the 2025 edition, the evening was hosted by Katia Santillo and concluded with the election of twenty-three-year-old Marianna Ferrara, who received the sheaf from the hands of Mayor Antonio Gentile while being greeted from the sea by the boats of the Sapri Nautical Club; the dress, made of organza with lace and a wide skirt, was designed by Vesuvius-based stylist Mimmo Tuccillo.

Sapri, the Gulf of Policastro, and the memory of Pisacane

Sapri marks the southern end of the province of Salerno, bordering Basilicata, and is the last town in Campania on the Gulf of Policastro. The city thrives on the sea, summer tourism, and a deeply felt Risorgimento memory: the obelisk dedicated to the 'Trecento' (the Three Hundred), the statue of the Gleaner, and the re-enactments of the landing are as much a part of the local identity as the beaches and the tourist port.

The Gleaner's Night is therefore part of a broader narrative that the Pro Loco distributes throughout the summer with other events featuring a strong local flavor, from Tramonti d'Autore (Author Sunsets) in the small square of Apprezzami l'Asino to the Bivacco dei 300, the costume party that precedes the re-enactment of Carlo Pisacane's landing.

Why it's worth attending

It is an evening that appeals to diverse audiences: those seeking the color of a village festival, those who love poetry and the history of the Risorgimento, or those who simply want to spend an August night on the seafront with music and entertainment. The free, open-air format makes it suitable for families, and the late start allows time to enjoy a fish dinner in one of the restaurants in the center or at the port beforehand.

Those vacationing in southern Cilento or the nearby Gulf of Policastro can easily combine the evening with a day at the beach between Sapri, Scario, and Marina di Camerota, or an excursion into the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park.