Project · Territory and food culture
Le vie della dieta mediterranea nel Sannio
The Mediterranean Diet trails in Sannio: a travelling storytelling project across 37 municipalities in the province of Benevento that brings the cantastorie, the folk storyteller, back to the town square to tell the story of the Mediterranean Diet, UNESCO intangible heritage, through local products, producers and traditions.
| Programme | Call for the promotion of the Mediterranean Diet in Campania · Campania Region Decree no. 177 of 4 May 2026 |
| Territory | 37 municipalities in the province of Benevento |
| Period | November 2026 – June 2027 |
| Funding | Campania Region and co-funding from the 37 municipalities |
| Role | Project manager |
| Status | Ongoing · launch on 10 November 2026 at the National Archaeological Museum of Sannio Caudino, Montesarchio |
- 37 Sunday events, one in each municipality
- 10 featured products: PDO, DOCG, PGI and traditional food products
- 30+ Mediterranean Diet Ambassadors
- 2,500+ expected participants
Mediterranean Flavour Sundays
Every Sunday from November to June, a different municipality hosts a two-and-a-half-hour event in a historic square, a cloister, an olive mill or a winery. All events are free of charge.
90 minutes
The story
An expert narrator tells the history, cultural roots and nutritional benefits of the municipality’s typical product.
30 minutes
The producers
Two or three local producers talk about traditional techniques and how knowledge is passed down the generations.
30 minutes
The tasting
Guided sensory tasting of local specialities, with information sheets and traditional recipes.
The 10 products
- Falanghina del Sannio PDO and Aglianico del Taburno DOCG
- Mela Annurca Campana PGI
- Extra virgin olive oil from Sannio Caudino-Telesino and Colline Beneventane
- Cece piccolo del Sannio (small chickpea), cardone (cardoon) and Saragolla wheat and bread
- Pecorino di Laticauda cheese and Matese wildflower honey
- Vino cotto, cooked grape must from rural tradition
More than events
Game
Taste Passport
A booklet with a map of the 37 municipalities and attendance stamps: those who attend at least 30 events become “Sannio Ambassadors of the Mediterranean Diet”. Quizzes and booklets with recipes and seasonal calendars complete the journey.
Visits
Open doors
In 10 events the meeting moves to production sites: olive mills, wineries, mountain dairies, mills, beekeepers, chestnut groves and hazelnut orchards.
Tourism
Press tours
Two weekends for journalists, food bloggers, tour operators and buyers, with B2B meetings and the creation of three tourism packages for Sannio.
A sustainable event
Plastic- and PVC-free set-ups, straw-bale seating, FSC-certified signage, compostable tableware and a native fruit tree planted in each of the 37 municipalities. At least 40% of the testimonies will come from women producers, with schools and elders – the keepers of memory – actively involved.
Want to bring a project like this to your area?
The format is designed to be replicated: let’s talk.