Festival fever and holiday highlights in Campania

Festival fever and holiday highlights in Campania

We love food and wines from Campania! That’s why we set up our company – to bring you the very best produce from this scintillating region of Southern Italy. The sunburst of flavours we offer you might tempt you to visit the region yourself. Rest assured that, no matter what the season, there’s plenty to do – in between sampling the local delicacies!

Festivals abound, so why not link your visit to one of these? Every village seems to have its own, but here are some of the major ones for your delight.

April: Sapori & Saperi-Santuario della Beata Vergine Pompeii. A colourful carousel of Campanian culinary magic along with traditional folk music, dance, poetry and story-telling. The title is most fitting, translating as ‘taste and knowledge’…yes, taste the wine, the fish, the tomatoes, the buffalo mozzarella; learn about local culture. Irresistible!

May:Three Gulfs Cup in the Bay of Naples. Since 1954, this boat race has been the sailing highlight of the year in Campania. It starts at midnight in front of Castel dell ‘Ovo in the beautiful Bay of Naples and finishes 170 nautical miles later after circumnavigating the splendid Neapolitan isles in the Bays of Salerno and Gaeta too.

May-June: Tammorra Festival in Somma Vesuviana. Drink the local wine, buy the handicrafts, all to the mesmerising beat of the tammorra, a jingly tambourine, famous in the region.

June: St. Andrew’s Celebration in Amalfi. Amalfi’s much-feted patron saint. Not to be missed, on June 27th – the sight of fishermen running up 62 steep steps to the cathedral, carrying a huge statue of St. Andrew on their shoulders. A procession through town celebrates the 1544 defeat of Barbarossa’s pirates – and then it’s time for feasting and fireworks.

June-September: Ravello Festival in Ravello. Two whole months of musical excellence. Originally created to celebrate the work of Wagner, who visited in 1880, now there’s every sort of classical music under the sun in the town’s churches, piazzas and gardens, as well as art and photographic exhibitions and discussion groups. An auditory and visual extravaganza!

July: Sagra del Limone (Lemon Fair) in Massa Lubrense. We love our Limoncello, don’t we? This 4-day festival, over the first weekend of July, celebrates the lemons, as well as other local rural culture and cuisine, with farm visits and fun events.

Festa della Madonna del Carmine in Naples. A fervent religious festival to honour the Madonna de Carmine starts with a spectacular firework display called the Incendio del Campanile when it appears as if the bell tower itself is ablaze on the city skyline. The next day, mass is celebrated every hour so as many as possible can receive the madonna’s blessing.

August: Landing of the Saracens in Positano. An exciting re-enactment of a 1558 battle, with costumed actors, vibrant music and jollity, making it perfect family entertainment.

Byzantine New Year in Amalfi. See ancient traditions re-created for your enchantment, with parades and medieval tournaments, culminating in the dazzling ceremony to proclaim the Duke of Amalfi, on September 1st.

September: Festival of San Gennaro in Naples. St. Gennaro is the patron saint and protector of Naples. On September 19th each year, his statue is part of a majestic procession through the streets, with locals singing, sobbing and praying as he passes. The spectacular feast ends with a miracle called the liquefaction, where St, Gennaro’s blood, kept in a sacred vessel in the cathedral, turns to liquid again to prove that he still watches over his beloved city.

The Madonna of Piedigrotta in Naples. Once every half century,  the adored madonna is paraded through the town, but there’s a festival in her honour each year, with a boat parade, carnival, music and dance. It is here that the famous song ‘O Sole Mio’ first appeared in 1898.

November: Borsa Mediterranea del Turismo Archeologico in Paestum. For the culture vulture in you, to learn about local archaeology through meetings, presentations and interactive events.

 

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