Visciano Summer Fashion – Excellence Awards
Fashion, music, and entertainment in Piazza Lancellotti for the Madonna del Carpinello festival
About Visciano Summer Fashion
Visciano Summer Fashion at a glance
The Visciano Summer Fashion – Excellence Awards was launched in July 2026 in Visciano, a town in the Nola hinterland within the Metropolitan City of Naples, in Campania. The inaugural edition took place in Piazza Lancellotti, which was transformed for the evening into a grand stage where fashion, music, dance, theatre, and spirituality converged before a packed crowd. This is not a trade-only industry event; it is a community celebration, open and accessible, using fashion as a medium to showcase local talent.
A festival within a festival
The event does not stand alone. It is integrated into the program of the 2026 Festival Committee for Maria SS. Consolatrice del Carpinello, chaired by Umberto Santorelli, which brings life to Visciano every summer through devotion to the Madonna del Carpinello. The evening also serves as a Memorial dedicated to Father Arturo D'Onofrio, a priest deeply loved in the town and a constant point of reference for the community's youth. This dual bond—religious and civic—defines the tone of the festival: it is popular entertainment, yes, but with a dimension of remembrance and gratitude that the local public immediately resonates with.
Fashion, stage, and young talent
Conceived and curated by actor and director Angelo Iannelli, known as the "Ambassador of Smiles," the Visciano Summer Fashion highlights Campanian fashion and its craftsmanship, alongside music, dance, and acting. The inaugural evening featured:
- fashion shows by the Istituto Moda Afragola, featuring the work of young students on the runway;
- collections by designer Patrizia Lieto;
- exhibitions by artists Catello Zanca and Ciro Di Somma;
- dance interludes, including Zaalima's performance dedicated to peace;
- live musical performances, including Antonello Rondi's vocal tribute to Father Arturo.
The event was hosted by Iannelli himself, alongside Emanuela Gambardella and Edda Cioffi, with models Francesca Nastro and Ludovica Cerracchio completing the stage lineup.
The Excellence Awards
The heart of the festival is the Excellence Awards, which recognize the work of artists, professionals, and young people from the area who have distinguished themselves in the fields of art, culture, and civic engagement. The custom-made plaques were presented to, among others, actor Cosimo Alberti (Un Posto al Sole), actress Marika Gambardella (Mare Fuori), Rai journalist Gianfranco Coppola, saxophonist Veronica De Falco, and numerous singers and performers from the Naples area. The award focuses primarily on the younger generation: the decision to link it to the legacy of Father D'Onofrio is no coincidence, as his work with the youth remains the guiding thread of the entire event.
Visciano and its surroundings
Visciano is a small hillside town northeast of Naples, in the Nola area of Campania. As in most towns in the region, the summer calendar revolves around the patronal feast and the volunteer work of the Festival Committee: the illuminations, the decorations, and the town square becoming a theatre. The Visciano Summer Fashion fits into this tradition and updates it, introducing contemporary formats—runways, televised-style shows, and awards ceremonies—without detaching them from the devotional context that hosts them.
What to expect
Visitors will find an open-air evening that is free and highly attended, with the audience seated and standing around the runway until late at night. The rhythm is that of a traditional town festival: a fast-paced mix of fashion shows, songs, monologues, and award presentations, with final social moments. For those visiting Campania in the summer, it is an opportunity to see firsthand how a community in the Neapolitan hinterland expresses itself, far from the tourist circuits of the coast.
Visciano Summer Fashion — edition 2026
The 2026 debut
The 1st edition of the Visciano Summer Fashion took place in Piazza Lancellotti, in the center of Visciano, with a turnout that the local press described as record-breaking. The evening was part of the program of the 2026 Festival Committee for Maria SS. Consolatrice del Carpinello, chaired by Umberto Santorelli, and was dedicated to the memory of Father Arturo D'Onofrio.
How the evening unfolded
Singers, actors, musicians, and designers took turns on stage, hosted by the creator and curator Angelo Iannelli, supported by presenters Emanuela Gambardella and Edda Cioffi, and models Francesca Nastro and Ludovica Cerracchio. The runways were managed by the Istituto Moda Afragola and designer Patrizia Lieto, while artists Catello Zanca and Ciro Di Somma exhibited their works on the sides of the square. Among the most applauded moments were the oriental dance by Zaalima dedicated to peace and the anthem sung by Antonello Rondi in honor of Father Arturo. The evening concluded with a toast and the cutting of a cake depicting Father D'Onofrio, created by pastry chef Giuseppe Mascolo.
The Excellence Awards
The awards, custom-made by artist Antonella Rufino with Ixia Grafica, were presented to professionals and young talents from the Naples area who distinguished themselves in art, culture, and civic engagement.
Programme Visciano Summer Fashion 2026
Single evening — Piazza Lancellotti, Visciano
Program of the 1st edition as documented by the local press (no detailed hourly schedule was published).
- Hosts: Angelo Iannelli (creator and curator), with Emanuela Gambardella and Edda Cioffi; evening models Francesca Nastro and Ludovica Cerracchio.
- Fashion shows: Istituto Moda Afragola (collections by young students) and collections by designer Patrizia Lieto.
- Exhibitions: works by artists Catello Zanca and Ciro Di Somma.
- Dance: oriental dance performance by Zaalima, dedicated to peace.
- Live music: performances by Antonello Rondi (anthem dedicated to Father Arturo D'Onofrio), Raffaele Scarano, Mario Conte, Ciro Marra, Teresa Moccia, Laura Sabrina, Gianluca Zeffiro, Carmen Navarro; saxophone by Veronica De Falco.
- Theatre and guests: Cosimo Alberti (Un Posto al Sole), Marika Gambardella (Mare Fuori), Gigi Attrice, Francesca Lubrano, Antonella Fulco, Christian Cervone; Rai journalist Gianfranco Coppola was present.
- Awards ceremony: presentation of the Excellence Awards to local artists and talents.
- Closing: toast and cutting of the cake dedicated to Father Arturo D'Onofrio, created by pastry chef Giuseppe Mascolo.
Authorities present: the mayor of Visciano, Sabatino Trinchese, and the president of the Festival Committee, Umberto Santorelli.
Highlights Visciano Summer Fashion 2026
- First-ever edition, with Piazza Lancellotti packed throughout the evening.
- Fashion shows by the Istituto Moda Afragola and collections by Patrizia Lieto.
- The anthem sung by Antonello Rondi in memory of Father Arturo D'Onofrio.
- The dance for peace by Zaalima.
- Presentation of the Excellence Awards, including to Cosimo Alberti, Marika Gambardella, and Gianfranco Coppola.
- The cutting of the cake depicting Father D'Onofrio, signed by Giuseppe Mascolo.
Prices Visciano Summer Fashion 2026
Practical information — Visciano Summer Fashion
Location
The event takes place in Piazza Lancellotti, in the center of Visciano (ZIP 80030), Metropolitan City of Naples.
How to get there
Visciano is most easily reached by car via the Nola area road network; the town is connected by regional bus lines to the railway stations of the Nola plain. On festival evenings, the center may be partially closed to traffic: it is advisable to park along the approach roads and continue on foot.
Admission
Open-air event in the square, free access: local press reports no tickets or reservations required.
Tips
The evening takes place at night and lasts until late: bring a light layer. For the updated program, it is best to follow the channels of the Festival Committee and the local press of the Nola area, which publishes the full schedule a few days before.
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