uMani International Award

An award born from a traveling work of art

The uMani International Award takes its name and inspiration from a traveling sculpture created by writer and journalist Flavio Pagano: a piece of solidarity art that has traveled over 25,000 kilometers, finding a home in major Italian cultural venues and becoming a symbol of inclusion, dialogue, and participation. From that installation, the award was born, which the Municipality of Monteverde, in the province of Avellino, presents to individuals and associations that have stood out for their civic commitment, solidarity, and promotion of social inclusion.

It is not a festival in the traditional sense, but a public ceremony that centers on human stories: priests, administrators, musicians, and volunteers. The award has a distinctly international vocation and, over the years, has brought prominent national guests to Alta Irpinia, reaching far beyond the borders of Campania.

The Castello Grimaldi, the ceremony's backdrop

The awards are presented at the Baronial Castle of the Grimaldi Princes, located on Salita Castello at the highest point of the village, overlooking the Ofanto Valley. The first documented records of the Lombard fortification date back to 897; in the 15th century, the Aragonese added four corner towers and a drawbridge, while after the 1851 earthquake, the building was largely rebuilt while preserving its Aragonese layout. Fully restored in 2006, it now houses a grain museum and can be visited by appointment. The setting speaks volumes about the award itself: a frontier site, reclaimed and returned to the community.

Who promotes the award

The initiative is promoted by the Municipality of Monteverde in collaboration with the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy association, of which the town is a member, the local Pro Loco, and the Lilliput association. The evenings are typically attended by local institutional representatives, from the mayor to leaders of the Alta Irpinia region and the Province of Avellino, while the event is hosted by Flavio Pagano himself, the creator of the uMani project.

Recent award recipients

• 2023: A miniature of the uMani work was awarded to Prince Albert of Monaco and soprano Katia Ricciarelli;
• 2024: Regional Tourism Councilor Felice Casucci and Member of Parliament Francesco Emilio Borrelli were honored during the May 7th ceremony;
• 2025: Father Maurizio Patriciello, parish priest of Caivano, was awarded for his courage, civic commitment, and defense of the most vulnerable;
• 2026: Member of Parliament Enzo Bianco, the rock band I Ladri di Carrozzelle, and the UMANI association of Rionero in Vulture.

How the evening unfolds

The format is sober and consistent from year to year: it opens with institutional greetings, followed by the story of the traveling artwork, the reading of the award motivations, the presentation of the honors, and testimonials from the recipients. The event usually takes place in the late afternoon, between 6:00 PM and 6:30 PM, when the light over the Ofanto Valley is soft and the castle courtyard becomes the town's gathering point. The audience consists of both Monteverde residents and visitors from neighboring Alta Irpinia towns and the nearby Basilicata region.

Monteverde, Alta Irpinia, and the surroundings

With fewer than eight hundred inhabitants and an altitude of 740 meters, Monteverde is one of the smallest and most photogenic villages in inland Campania. It is part of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy circuit and sits at the crossroads of Campania, Puglia, and Basilicata, in a landscape of wheat, wind, and sweeping vistas. Today, the award is one of the events that best represents the cultural strategy of these Alta Irpinia towns, which focus on quality events to combat depopulation and showcase a territory still largely untouched by mass tourism.

Those arriving for the ceremony will find much more than just an awards night: the medieval village, the castle with its museum, the viewpoints over the valley, and the opportunity to discover Irpinian gastronomy, from local cheeses to wines from the province of Avellino.