Sagra delle Orecchiette

The Orecchiette Festival is a food and wine event that takes place in Savignano Irpino in August.

Organised by the Sant'Anna Committee, on the occasion of the celebrations in honour of the patron saint, it is recognised as one of the oldest events in Irpinia, conceived and organised in one of "Italy's Most Beautiful Villages", where wheat has always been a primary resource. On the occasion of this eagerly awaited event, skilled housewives knead water, flour and eggs and shape the typical dome-shaped pasta by hand, one by one. This is a tribute to a centuries-old food tradition, that of fresh pasta, which has become a true culture for the entire Cervaro Valley, which makes it a precious product with which to enrich its gastronomic offerings.

Local flavours season the local sauces with which the more than one thousand orecchiette dishes are served: from the classic version with meat sauce to the modern "three-coloured" version with cherry tomatoes, rocket and Parmesan cheese. All this in an atmosphere enlivened by dancing, music and entertainment, in a summer evening that has become an event not to be missed and which has been repeated since 1977, the year of the first edition of the food and wine festival. This is a moment of great aggregation and conviviality in which to enjoy oneself, savouring dishes prepared with simple products that bring back the flavours of the past. 

If harvest time was an occasion of joy for Savignano's ancient peasant civilisation, the Orecchiette Festival recalls the moment of celebration: union, sharing and strong passion for a tradition that has been handed down for generations.