Veal Festival

The festival that opens the summer in Ottati

At the beginning of August, the small town of Ottati, in the province of Salerno, kicks off its summer season with the Veal Festival. The event does not take place in the village itself but up in the mountains, at Rifugio Panormo, in the heart of the Alburni Mountains: a choice that makes this festival one of the most unique in inland Campania, as it combines rustic local cuisine with the atmosphere of a day in the mountains, far from the summer heat of the Cilento coast.

Spit-roasted veal, the absolute star

The dish that gives the festival its name is spit-roasted veal, slow-cooked outdoors and served alongside other traditional local dishes. The tastings are free and open to all lovers of Cilento gastronomy: this is the formula that has made the event a highly anticipated occasion, capable of attracting families, hikers, and visitors from the neighboring towns of the Alburni and Vallo di Diano areas.

• Spit-roasted veal prepared on-site
• Traditional Alburni peasant cuisine
• Free tastings and free admission
• Entertainment and music for all ages

Rifugio Panormo, a setting at 1,340 meters

Rifugio Panormo is located at an altitude of approximately 1,340 meters, about ten kilometers from the town center of Ottati, immersed in ancient beech forests. It is the main tourist landmark of the municipality: numerous hiking trails start from here toward the peaks of the Alburni massif, and in the Campo dei Farina area, next to the refuge, there is also an adventure park. Climbing up here for the Veal Festival therefore means combining lunch or dinner at altitude with a walk in the woods, with temperatures much more pleasant than those in the valley.

A whole month of August filled with events

The Veal Festival is not an isolated event: it is part of a summer calendar built by the municipal administration together with local associations. In recent seasons, the program has included a showcase of Neapolitan songs in Piazza Umberto I, an evening of dance and magic, the Fasanella Motorbike Rally in the Cardoneto area, the Ottati Etnomusic Festival, and the celebrations for the Madonna del Cardoneto around mid-August, all with free admission. In the summer of 2026, Mount Panormo will also host the fourth edition of Silvae Fragmenta, a Land Art residency promoted by the municipality, with a public meeting at the refuge and a final exhibition in the first days of August.

Ottati, the village in the beech woods

A medieval-style village nestled toward the Calore valley, Ottati is part of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park and belongs to the so-called "land of long life." The historic center is known for the murals created by Italian artists as part of the Arte ad Ottati exhibition, while the church dedicated to Saint Blaise (San Biagio), the town's patron saint celebrated on February 3rd, houses Renaissance-era works. The traditional calendar then closes in September with the festival dedicated to the 'dottato' fig, another identity product of this part of Campania.

Who organizes the festival

The initiative is promoted by the Municipality of Ottati in collaboration with the Pro Loco and the operators of Rifugio Panormo. As with the other events on the Ottati summer calendar, access is free: a way to introduce the Alburni mountains and their flavors to an audience that goes well beyond the town's borders.