The town of Campania in southern Italy. Photo: Shutterstock The famous 'A Chiena' flood festival officially kicked off the summer festivities in the town of Campagna in the province of Salerno, southern Italy, yesterday. If you missed the opening shot yesterday, don't worry: this wet celebration is far from over, and will continue throughout the weekends of July and August.
The event takes place in a town called Campagna. This picturesque town is located within the province of Salerno, which is part of the wider Campania region in the south of the Italian boot.
For a few hours every weekend, the town's historic center turns into a flowing river. Using an ancient system of artificial dams, locals control the flow of the nearby Tenza River, diverting it directly into the town's cobblestone alleys. The water floods the main streets ankle-deep, transforming the entire town into a huge, festive, and refreshing public pool.
The origin of the custom is entirely historical and practical. It began at least in the 17th century with the aim of cleaning the city streets, washing away the dirt left by pack animals and disinfecting the alleys against diseases during the dry and hot summer months. What began as a sanitary necessity has over the years become one of the most beloved and entertaining folklore festivals in Italy.
The festival divides its energy into two main types of weekend events. On Saturdays, there is “The Walk” (La Passeggiata), where the streets are flooded with clean, cool water, and crowds of locals and tourists simply take off their shoes and walk together in joy among the town’s shops and cafes. Sundays are dedicated to “The Bucket Wars” (Le Secchiate), a non-stop street party. Participants equip themselves with special plastic buckets and pour huge amounts of water on each other to the sound of rhythmic music.
Access to the area is very simple and convenient from Naples, the provincial capital. Travelers with a private or rented car can leave Naples south on the A3 motorway directly towards Salerno, and from there continue a short distance east to the town. For those who prefer to use public transport, the most efficient way is to take a train from Naples Centrale station, which arrives in a short time at Salerno train station. From Salerno station, you can easily continue to the town of Campania using the frequent local bus lines operating in the area.
To complete the local experience, it's worth stopping at the town's leading restaurants that offer dishes unique to the region. The family-run Piccola Osteria Zena offers a fine traditional experience that includes the flagship dish Candele al ragù. The literal meaning of Candele in Italian is candles. This is a particularly long and hollow tubular pasta that originally comes from the Campania region. Its name and shape were inspired by the long and thin wax candles used by believers in the religious processions of the Catholic Church in the area. The traditional dish is served with the pasta broken into coarse pieces and drowned in a rich meat sauce that has been cooked for hours. Another recommended dish there is a rich layered eggplant pastry (Melanzane sovrapposte).
In the heart of the historic center you will also find the Osteria Verdemora restaurant, which serves the official local dish of the festival days: Matassa campagnese, a traditional long pasta served with white beans and dried, crispy peppers (Peperone crusco).
The perfect dessert after the water fights can be found at the town's beloved local artisanal ice cream parlor, L'isola Del Gelato. The place offers a huge variety of flavors made daily from fresh, high-quality ingredients, alongside warm Italian brioche filled with cold ice cream and excellent gluten-free and lactose-free options.
If you are planning a summer trip to southern Italy in the coming weeks, we highly recommend that you stock up on a change of clothes, purchase an entrance ticket for a nominal fee, and come to Campania to escape the Italian heat in the most original way possible.