Un Borgo da Favola

Two nights of fairy tales in the historic center of Montesano

Un Borgo da Favola is the summer festival that transforms the historic center of Montesano sulla Marcellana, in the province of Salerno, into a grand open-air stage. For two evenings, the stone alleys, courtyards, and squares of this Campanian village become the rooms of a single, living fairy tale: visitors don't just sit in an audience—they walk through the story, encountering street artists, musicians, jugglers, stilt-walkers, and puppeteers at every turn.

The initiative is a collaboration between the Municipality of Montesano sulla Marcellana and the theater company La Cantina delle Arti, directed by maestro Enzo D'Arco. It is a highlight of the summer calendar in the Vallo di Diano, the plateau marking the southeastern border of Campania. Each year, the theme changes: the chosen fairy tale dictates the scenery, costumes, installations, and even the menu at the tavern.

The 2026 edition: Cinderella in the village

The 2026 edition is scheduled for Saturday, August 1st and Sunday, August 2nd, and is dedicated to Cinderella. From 6:30 PM onwards, the streets, squares, and palaces of the historic center will host an immersive journey of theater, circus, music, street art, magic, puppetry, and art installations, designed to be explored freely without a set route.

The heart of the event is Cenerella, a theatrical performance by the La Cantina delle Arti company, staged both evenings at 9:30 PM in Piazza Castello. This reinterpretation of the fairy tale draws on the Neapolitan tradition of Giambattista Basile and the work of Roberto De Simone, directed by Enzo D'Arco and featuring Antonella Giordano and Marzio D'Arco. After the show, the audience moves to Piazza Gagliardi for the Midnight Grand Ball, a participatory event that serves as the perfect finale before the clock strikes twelve.

Street artists from Italy to South America

A hallmark of the festival is the presence of international buskers and companies, alongside artists from Naples, Salerno, Caserta, Benevento, Potenza, and the Vallo di Diano itself. Among the names announced for 2026:

• Mayra Castellon Barrientos, a 'madonnara' (street painter) from Tarija, Bolivia, who will create her work live on the pavement
• Cia. To do, a circus-theater company from Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Libero Baldoni, a handpan musician from Naples
• Selvaggia Filippini with her figure theater and puppets
• Carletta (juggling) and Mago Marco (magic and illusion)
• Bandaraggia New Orleans Jazz, a roaming street band
• Gilda e Giulia Duo Bilico, stilt-walkers

Exhibitions, museums, and family activities

The experience extends beyond the streets, involving the village's museum spaces. At the MuMoNT (Montesano Museum), the exhibition Cinderella and the Magic of Time is hosted in the Clock Room, alongside the installation Between Ash and Transformation by Elena De Simone. There will also be guided tours of the historic center and churches, as well as activities for children, including the Slipper Hunt treasure hunt through the village alleys.

The Taverna della Scarpetta

The culinary experience is managed by the Taverna della Scarpetta, a refreshment point set up in the village with a themed menu inspired by the year's fairy tale—a formula successfully tested in 2025 with the 'Osteria del Gambero Rosso' and its Pinocchio-inspired dishes. Alongside the tavern, there will be craft stalls and small exhibitors.

Montesano sulla Marcellana and the Vallo di Diano

Montesano sulla Marcellana is a town in the province of Salerno overlooking the Vallo di Diano plateau, within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. The main town features a compact historic center that climbs from the Cathedral of Sant'Anna up to Piazza Castello: this very incline, with its staircases and viewpoints, is what makes the festival's itinerant format possible.

For the municipal administration, led by Mayor Giuseppe Rinaldi, Un Borgo da Favola is a tool for promoting the historic center: opening it to international cultural experiences and strengthening, through culture, the appeal of an inland area of Campania often off the main tourist circuits.