Apologies for the lengthy time between posts. This summer has been very busy with family visits, work in my garden, a few little trips and sagre (plural for sagra). I know I told you about sagre in a post from last summer but I really got a taste (literally) of them this year so thought I would give you a more detailed review of what a sagra is along with lots of pictures from the many that I attended.
Starting in June up to this past week I have attended 12 sagre this summer. A sagra is really just a festival with food and music and local crafts. But each village brings a unique approach to their sagra. Some will feature a specific food - for example cherries, grain, beans, fish, wine, etc. Some just have a variety of foods - many of them featuring true Cilentano food (food from the local area made by many of the women in the village).
There is always a menu for each sagra, many allowing you to either buy items individually or buy a "completo menu" - the entire meal which would consist of antipasto, primi piatti, secondi piatti, contorni and dolce (which means lots of food!). I did notice on almost all menus they always offer French fries as a separate item. Italians love them!! Then off course there are beverages - water, wine, beer. Many of the small sagra only offer "Vino locale" (local wine) but the larger ones will offer some bottled wine as well.
There was a sagra featuring wines - I must say this was my favorite (no surprise there - right?). There were 10 local wineries offering wine. There were different food stands as well. This sagra or festival was in Castellabate which is a larger village and famous for the movie, "Benvenuti al Sud". They had great music too.
All the sagre have music and usually it will be the local Cilentano music. After attending 12 sagre I could sing right along to the music as I had heard the same songs over and over. But I never tire of them as they are fun, upbeat and great to dance to!!
Most of the sagre take place in August. August is vacation time in Italy. Many businesses close for the month or part of the month. Many Italians head to the sea or back to their home area to visit with family. The area I live in becomes a mad house in August. Too many people and way too much traffic for the small villages but you take it in stride knowing there is an end to the madness. But the good thing about August is the sagra. I have attached a map and list of the sagre - and this is just August!!!! You literally could go the entire month without cooking.
Some sagre are actually like restaurants (but outside). There will be lots of tables, usually in a beautiful treed area or country setting. Sometimes you can find your own table to sit at, others you must wait for your number to be called and they seat you. Once seated there is a wait person who will greet you and take care of you while you are there. They take your order, bring your food and collect your money at the end of the evening. Most of these servers are the younger residents (20-somethings) of the village. The teens also get in the act by helping as table clearers, etc. Many times the servers will be in dressed in cilentano costumes other times in the tee shirts advertising their sagra. Other sagre will have all the various food stands and you purchase your food and can either stand or take a seat at many tables positioned throughout the area.
Sagre are one of the highlights of summer in southern Italy. Enjoy some of my pictures!!
 |
| Cousin Antonio and wife Anna with a ball of Caciocavallo cheese. This was then cut in pieces for all of us to enjoy after our meal! |
 |
| Beautiful setting for a Sagra of Ancient Grains The silo on the left has been converted into a small apartment to rent at this Agriturismo. |
 |
| The beautiful Castle at night in Castelnuovo Cilento |
The lights are up and ready for the sagra
 |
| This is am amazing thing - sliced peaches in wine!!!!A wonderful and very typical southern Italy desert!Don't you love how they prepare it - in big plastic tubs! |
 |
 |
| This was the Festa nel Bosco (Party in the woods) The picture doesn't do it justice and yes you are sitting in the middle of a forest for this one!! |
All the villages use the opportunity to showcase
their beautiful churches.
Cheese vendor selling his product at a sagra
The village of Ostigliano had amazing
displays of old equipment and tools. This
is an old olive press
Another piece of machinery used in the
olive pressing process
An old grain mill
Antique tools used in farming the
land of southern Italy
A little vino anyone?
The village of Pattano had an international sagra
Foods from many countries were available - even
the U.S. Here you could buy hamburgers, pulled pork sandwiches
and French fries. I chose to pass this one by!
Fish and Chips from the UK
Spain was also represented
Gelato served with nuts and figs!
This was heaven!
German frankfurter anyone?
And even Brazilian meat!!
This was one of the most interesting and
unique sagre. The village is much larger so could
offer more and manage the crowds with ease
The village of Stio has the best food in my opinion.
Their sagra is called Ciccimmaretati.
It does not translate but it is the best bean/grain stew ever.
I also had some stuffed eggplant.
They also have great seating. Little tables
with roofs and lighting. Here you have a number
and must wait for a table. It is always jam packed
with people. The trick is to get there early (by 9 p.m.)
When we left after 11 p.m. the people were still streaming in
and there was a long wait for a table.
This is a chestnut before it is
mature and ready to be picked.
Stio is famous for their chestnuts and they have
a Festival of Chestnuts in the fall.
A chestnut tree. All the little fuzzy circles
are chestnuts. The area is full of chestnut trees.
The wine sagra in Castellabate!!!
Love the decorations throughout
Very creative with purple and green balloons
The streets of Castellabate during
the wine sagra
The beautiful view from Castellabate. The lights below
are Santa Maria di Castellabate and
the lights way in the distance are the Amalfi coast.
La bella luna! Buona notte from the Summer of Sagre!!
