Zecchino d'Oro Pratese

Epiphany in song: the Zecchino d'Oro Pratese

On January 6th, when the holiday lights go out across much of Italy, the opposite happens in Prata Sannita—a town of just over 1,500 residents in the upper Caserta area of Campania. The town gathers at the Multifunctional Center on Via Guglielmo Marconi for the Zecchino d'Oro Pratese, a singing festival dedicated to children that has closed the municipality's Christmas program for years. It is the final event of the winter schedule, described by the local government as "timeless and unmissable," designed to conclude the festivities "with joy and plenty of music." A simple formula, repeated year after year, it has become an essential part of the local community's heart.

How the festival works

The model is clear from its name: it is inspired by the historic Zecchino d'Oro, Italy's famous children's song festival. In Prata Sannita, the formula is scaled down to a village level, where everyone knows each other and the stage is never intimidating. The young singers take turns performing before an audience of parents, grandparents, teachers, and neighbors, supported by live musical accompaniment: in past editions, the festival featured accordion and organ players, a choice that gives the event a deliberately intimate, home-grown feel, far removed from pre-recorded backing tracks.

• Protagonists — the local children, with recent editions seeing over fifty participants.
• Accompaniment — live music, typically featuring accordion and organ.
• Roles — alongside the soloists, there are choirs and young presenters who are also part of the show.
• Awards — at the end of the event, the mayor presents awards to all singers, choir members, and presenters: no one goes home empty-handed.

The Multifunctional Center, the town's stage

The venue is the Municipal Multifunctional Center on Via Guglielmo Marconi: an indoor space that, in the middle of winter—when the Matese mountains are cold and often snow-capped—allows the entire population to gather in a warm, welcoming environment. Admission is free and the event is open to anyone who wishes to attend, not just the families of the participating children. In the 2025 edition, the afternoon ran from 3:45 PM to approximately 7:00 PM, a relaxed pace that perfectly captures the nature of the event: not just a concert, but a true village afternoon.

The final act of a long Prata Christmas

The Zecchino d'Oro Pratese does not stand alone; it is the grand finale of a Christmas calendar that spans nearly an entire month in Prata Sannita, organized by the municipality in collaboration with the San Pancrazio parish, local associations, and volunteers. Recent holiday programs have included a major Christmas concert at the church of San Pancrazio, a Santa's Village, bingo nights at the Multifunctional Center, the lighting of the Christmas Eve bonfire in the square with gift distributions for children, a gospel concert on December 26th, and, above all, the living nativity scene set up in the medieval village.

After weeks of events, Epiphany arrives as a farewell entrusted once again to the youngest members of the community: the choice to close with a children's singing festival is no coincidence, but perfectly consistent with a Christmas in Prata built around families.

Prata Sannita, the village of Castello Pandone

The town hosting the festival is one of the most charming in the upper Caserta region: a medieval village of stone houses dominated by the ancient Castello Pandone, with alleys, arches, and stairways that become the natural backdrop for the living nativity scene in winter. Surrounding the town are the woods and streams of the Matese area, just a short distance from the Volturno Valley. The municipality, in the province of Caserta, has just over 1,500 inhabitants and sits at an altitude of about 330 meters: small numbers that explain why every event on the calendar holds a value of cohesion far greater than its scale.

Who is it for?

The Zecchino d'Oro Pratese is an event designed for families and school-aged children, but in practice, it involves the entire town. For those visiting the upper Caserta region during the holidays, it is a chance to see a community in the Campanian Apennines at its most spontaneous: no tourist choreography, no tickets, just a full room, a few off-key notes in the right places, and applause for every child who steps off the stage.