January 13, 2009
The Night of Bonfires: The Tale of Nusco

Italian Culture
Nusco, Avellino province
January 13th

Campania is known for its breathtaking coastline, which tourists continuously flock to year in and year out. Not far from the gorgeous beaches of the Amalfi lies an undiscovered land where peaks and slopes come together to create a dramatic background reminiscent of the Swiss Alps. The mountains descend in spurs with an intricate network of hills and valleys all covered in thick green layers concealing ancient villages and towns filled with ruins of untold tales and legends. This mystical place represents the heart of the Irpinia area. In the mythical territory of the wolf, hirpus, (in the language of the Samnites) people have inhabited this desolate landscape of deep-rooted traditions for thousands of years. Irpinia is centered on the section of the Apennines which runs from the Sella di Ariano to the springs of the Sele River, a region that includes the Benevento province to the North and Avellino to the South, forty kilometers east of Naples.

At an elevation of 914 meters above the Apennines (often described as "the balcony of Irpinia"), lies Nusco, an enchanting medieval town of 4,400 inhabitants. While poverty and misery drove most of its people away to seek better life in the Northern regions or the US (the last wave came during the 1980’s when a chain of disastrous earthquakes struck the region), its residents are proud of its past and rustic quiet day-to-day life. In recognition of the preservation of their heritage, in 2007 the town was awarded “Uno Dei Cento Borghi Piu’ Belli d’Italia,” one of the hundreds of most beautiful hamlets of Italy. Celebrating their rich traditions and culture passed from generation to generation, once a year this small village attracts countless visitors, (this year an estimate of eight thousand) for one of the most unusual food festival of the entire Peninsula: “La Notte Dei Falo,” The Bonfire Night.

Legend has it that after the Longobards invaded Nusco and erected a castle to defend the valley from enemy tribes a series of plagues hit the region. The most devastating was in 1656 when la peste nera killed a third of the population. In order to cleanse the abundance of bodies that were piling up in the narrow alleys, at nightfall the residents would light several bonfires in the main square to dispose of the corpses. As the residents united to mourn the loss of their friends and family they would play music to commemorate the dead and share what little provisions of food they had left. As the years went by the people would gather on the night of Sant’Antonio Abate—the protectors of the farmers, which falls on the first night of the Carnival calendar—to pay respect to the victims of the plague by lighting bonfires to solemnize those dark days. As the centuries passed the atmosphere changed and today the event is perceived as a festive ritual, a celebration of life. Neighbors and visitors from all over Italy join numerous banquets of local delicacies that are arranged in the beehive-like alleys as bonfires burn and fireworks light the sky.

This year The Bonfire Night will be held on Saturday, January 17th with the first blaze starting in the Piazza del Mercato at 5:00pm. As residents have been preparing for weeks, all twigs for the fire have been hand-selected from nearby woods. The excitement is growing and can be felt in the air all throughout the community. Mr. Giuseppe Del Giudice, Nusco’s Mayor, will open the ceremony with a solemn speech at lunch and, as is tradition, will start the main bonfire at sundown with fireworks to follow. Soon after, one by one, each borough will light its own fire as street artists will play music—such as the traditional tarantella—and perform all night long both in and out the town’s fortress walls. Among the delicacies offered on the tables, Nusco will present a savory number of gastronomic meals that will satisfy even the most exigent and sophisticated of palates with some of the best local cuisine including Irpinia’s rustic soups, homemade pastas, legumes, il tartufo nero regionale, black truffles of Bagnoli d’Irpinio, chestnuts, heirloom fruits and vegetables and of course the area’s three DOCG wines—whites, Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino and powerhouse red, Taurasi.

Irpinia’s native artisanal cheeses include the pear shaped buffalo milk scamozza and the firm and nutty tear-drop shaped caciocavallo (“Cheese on horseback”) obtained from the milk of the cows which are left to roam freely in the surrounding pasture lands and renowned for its smooth texture.

Pasta dishes will include cavatelli with spollichini beans, ravioli marcanali (similar to the egg made pasta alla chitarra) and fusilli with simple sauces or topped with ragu al pomodoro.

To top the night (or dawn) off, each meal will end with the dignified torrone, Campania’s first dessert. Torrone is made of honey and nuts and is covered with dark chocolate or glazed with lemon icing (the varieties here are endless).

For more information please contact the Nusco’s Tourism Department:
Email: info@mionusco.it or nottedeifalo2009@libero.it
Website: http://nus.asmenet.it