Vivi la Piazza
Piana di Monte Verna's summer in an open-air living room
About Vivi la Piazza
A widespread summer in the heart of the Volturno Valley
Vivi la Piazza is the summer program of Piana di Monte Verna, a small town of just over two thousand inhabitants in the Alto Casertano area, in the province of Caserta (Campania), about forty kilometers from Naples and eleven from Caserta. The concept behind the festival is simple and quintessentially Italian: to give the town square back to its residents for an entire season, transforming it—as the municipal administration calls it—into an open-air living room where people gather in the evenings, without tickets or formalities.
This is not a single-theme festival but a widespread event: activities move between Piazza XXI Maggio, the municipal gardens, the former sports field area, and the historic Fontana del Frumale, following the schedule of local associations. The result is a deliberately diverse program that brings together books, music, sports, cinema, food and wine, folk traditions, and local tourism over a few weeks.
Origins and organization
The festival is promoted by the Municipality of Piana di Monte Verna, led by Mayor Stefano Lombardi, in collaboration with the Pro Loco Pianese and local organizations: the Pianesi a 2 Ruote group for the vintage vehicle rally, the Trebbiando volunteers for the rural culture evenings, and the parish for the summer camp dedicated to Father Giulio Farina. It is a grassroots effort: the calendar is built from proposals by the associations and then organized by the administration into a single program.
The festival name has appeared since at least 2023 and has accompanied every summer in Piana since, with formats that change from year to year but maintain the same approach: low costs, many volunteers, and an audience consisting mainly of families, young people, and residents from neighboring towns in the valley.
What to expect in the program
- CineKids — free evening screenings on a giant screen in the square, designed for children and families.
- Trebbiando — a festival within a festival dedicated to rural culture, featuring traditional wheat threshing in the late afternoon and food stands in the evening.
- Notte Bianca — live music, street food, and shops open in the Fontana del Frumale area.
- Festa della Pizzonta and Porchetta Day — the two most iconic gastronomic events, celebrating local products.
- Moda sotto le stelle — an evening fashion show in the municipal gardens, now in its fifteenth edition.
- Monteverna Poesia — a literary competition involving local authors.
- Finestra sulle stelle — summer stargazing evenings.
- Grande Cena in Bianco, five-a-side football tournaments, dance recitals, vintage car and motorcycle rallies, and the Marcialonga, the popular walk that has surpassed twenty editions.
The atmosphere
Visitors arriving in Piana di Monte Verna in August will not find the grand stage of a major festival: they will find a square with chairs set up in front of a screen, the scent of food stalls, long tables for gastronomic evenings, and a community that knows one another. This is precisely its value for a visitor: the chance to see firsthand how summer really works in an inland Campanian town, far from the coastal tourist circuits.
Around the festival
The Piana area is worth exploring further: the Roman-era cistern, the Church of Sant'Angiolillo, the Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception, the Bourbon Casina of the Fagianeria, the Benedictine monastery, and the Church of Santa Maria a Marciano tell stories of layers ranging from the Roman age to the Kingdom of Naples. All around flows the Volturno river, with its wheat fields that are the very reason for a festival like Trebbiando.
Vivi la Piazza is therefore the best way to get to know this corner of Campania: an entire season of free events, a committed Municipality, and a Pro Loco that keeps the thread of local traditions alive.
Vivi la Piazza — edition 2026
A three-month-long summer
The 2026 program of Vivi la Piazza is the most extensive in recent years: it opens on June 13 and closes on September 19, with events distributed over almost every weekend. The municipal administration led by Mayor Stefano Lombardi presented it as a calendar that brings «books, music, sports, cinema, food and wine, folk traditions, and tourism» to the town, built together with local associations.
The Municipality's fiftieth anniversary
This edition has a special symbolic value: 2026 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the current name of the Municipality, and the festival was also conceived as a civic celebration of this anniversary. Among the institutional events included in the program is the presentation of the Constitution to the eighteen-year-olds of Piana.
Where to go
Evenings are distributed between Piazza XXI Maggio (screenings and meetings), the municipal gardens, the area of the former sports field and the municipal village (food stands, Trebbiando, Festa della Pizzonta), and the area of the historic Fontana del Frumale, chosen for the Notte Bianca. Everything is within a few minutes' walk.
Programme Vivi la Piazza 2026
June
- Saturday, June 13 — opening of the festival with the presentation of the book «Il tempo dell'orologiaio» by Maurizio de Giovanni.
- Sunday, June 14 — 5th Vintage Vehicle Rally, organized by Pianesi a 2 Ruote with the Pro Loco Piana di Monte Verna.
- End of June — 20th edition of the Marcialonga, the popular local walk, featuring mascot selection, taste, art, and fun.
- Friday, June 26, 9:00 PM — Piazza XXI Maggio — CineKids: free screening of the film «Buen Camino».
July
- Saturday, July 4 — Notte Bianca in the Fontana del Frumale area: live music with AgoGo and nationally acclaimed musicians, street food, and beverages. Free admission.
- July 10-13 — Trebbiando, the event dedicated to rural tradition: traditional wheat threshing in the late afternoon and food stands with typical local dishes in the evening.
- Festa della Pizzonta — stands, cooking demonstrations, and tastings of typical products in the municipal village area.
- Don Giulio Farina Camp — the week-long camp for children promoted by the Pro Loco Pianese with the parish.
August and September
- Porchetta Day — gastronomic event dedicated to porchetta.
- Grande Cena in Bianco — the collective dinner where participants dress in white.
- Finestra sulle stelle — summer stargazing evenings.
- Moda sotto le stelle — the evening fashion show in the municipal gardens.
- Monteverna Poesia — the town's literary competition.
- CineKids (other screenings), five-a-side football tournament for children and teenagers, dance recital curated by Benny Buonomo, traditional evenings, and the presentation of the Constitution to eighteen-year-olds.
- Saturday, September 19 — end-of-summer event closing the festival.
The complete calendar with times and confirmations is published progressively on the social channels of the Municipality of Piana di Monte Verna and the Pro Loco Pianese.
Highlights Vivi la Piazza 2026
- June 13 — presentation of the book by Maurizio de Giovanni: the festival opens with literature.
- June 14 — 5th Vintage Vehicle Rally with Pianesi a 2 Ruote.
- June 26 — CineKids in Piazza XXI Maggio, free screening of «Buen Camino».
- July 4 — Notte Bianca at Fontana del Frumale with AgoGo, street food, and music until late at night.
- July 10-13 — Trebbiando: traditional wheat threshing, the heart of the local summer.
- Festa della Pizzonta and Porchetta Day — the two gastronomic events not to be missed.
- Fiftieth Anniversary — the entire edition celebrates 50 years of the Municipality's name.
Prices Vivi la Piazza 2026
Practical information — Vivi la Piazza
How to get there
By car: from the A1 motorway, take the Caianello or Capua exit, then the SS 87 and provincial roads towards the Volturno Valley; Piana di Monte Verna is about 11 km from Caserta and 40 km from Naples. By train: Caserta station (Rome–Naples line via Cassino), then local bus or taxi. By plane: Naples-Capodichino airport, about an hour's drive away.
Event locations
Piazza XXI Maggio (screenings and evening events), municipal gardens (fashion shows and performances), former sports field area and municipal village (food stands), and the Fontana del Frumale area (Notte Bianca). All locations are within walking distance in the town center.
Tickets
Events announced by the Municipality are free to enter. For gastronomic evenings, food and drinks are purchased at the stands managed by the associations.
Information
Municipality of Piana di Monte Verna, Via Laurelli — tel. +39 0823 861224. Pro Loco Pianese: tel. +39 338 958 1830, [email protected]. Updated program on the social media channels of the Municipality and the Pro Loco.
Tips
Summer evenings in the valley can be cool after midnight: it is advisable to bring a light sweater. For events in the square, it is useful to arrive about twenty minutes early, especially with children. Local accommodation is limited: visitors can stay in Caserta, Caiazzo, or at agritourisms in the Volturno Valley.
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Where does it take place — Vivi la Piazza
Piazza XXI Maggio, villetta comunale e area della Fontana del Frumale
Piazza XXI Maggio, 81013 Piana di Monte Verna