Sagra delle Matasse

The Matasse Festival is a food and wine event that takes place in Caposele in August.

The event is mainly dedicated to one of the typical products of the local cuisine: the matasse of Caposele, a particular type of home-made pasta, certified as PAT (Prodotto Agroalimentare Tradizionale - Traditional Food Product) and which is unmatched in the Italian cuisine. Its shape is obtained through a specific pressure exerted by the fingers and the palm of the hand, which shape a single closed filament that, as it gets thinner and longer, is collected in concentric circles and then folded several times, to form a skein. The unique production method is reminiscent of that used for Christmas struffoli, while the fact that the strands are as long and continuous as possible is linked to ancestral propitiatory rituals.

During the festival, the ''matasse'' are served in two classic variants: with chickpeas or tomato fillet style. In particular, the dish "matasse e ceci" (skeins and chickpeas) has always been a local restaurant tradition, especially in restaurants near the Sanctuary of San Gerardo, where it is made and eaten by pilgrims. Alongside these two more usual first courses, the typical Caposele pasta is also served in versions made with other sauces based on high-quality products, such as black chickpeas or black-eyed beans. To complete the menu, fusilli with meat sauce and a local wine that goes perfectly with any dish offered during this event.

Having reached its 47th edition in 2019, the Matasse Festival of Caposele is one of the longest-running food and wine events in Irpinia.