Where food becomes story, memory and future
In the heart of the UNESCO Emblematic Community of the Mediterranean Diet, between the sea of Acciaroli, the olive groves of Cilento and the places that inspired studies on longevity, Trame Mediterranee – Gastronomic Theatre returns, the cultural format promoted by the Municipality of Pollica and the Paideia Campus of the Future Food Institute and curated by journalist Yuri Buono.
More than a food and wine festival, it is an immersive experience combining theatre, literature, music, memory, landscape and cuisine, transforming every dinner into a collective narrative.
Each evening emerges from the encounter between chefs, producers, fishermen, farmers, artists, writers, musicians and custodians of Mediterranean tradition.
Food becomes a universal language, a tool for dialogue between generations and an opportunity to tell the stories rooted in each territory.
Trame Mediterranee also interprets the Mediterranean Diet as an exercise in Gastrodiplomacy: a way to build relationships, foster mutual understanding and enhance cultural heritage through the most universal language of all, food.
Every dish tells the story of a territory, every ingredient preserves a story, and every shared table becomes an opportunity for encounters between people, cultures and visions of the future.
Inspired by the values of the Mediterranean Diet, recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the Gastronomic Theatre celebrates conviviality as a cultural infrastructure, landscape as a common good, and food as a living heritage of knowledge, relationships and identity.
Through a format combining education, performance and tasting, Yuri Buono guides the audience on a journey through stories of community, biodiversity, production traditions and innovation, giving a voice to those who preserve and renew Cilento’s biocultural heritage every day.
The 2026 edition is part of the broader enhancement strategy promoted by the Municipality of Pollica and the Paideia Campus to establish Cilento as an international laboratory for longevity, integral ecology, transformative education and territorial regeneration.
It is a vision that considers culture not as entertainment, but as a driver of local development, social cohesion and future-building.
Each event will feature the Food Heroes of Cilento — farmers, livestock breeders, fishermen, winemakers and food artisans — engaging directly with the public and acting as ambassadors of a biocultural heritage that is unique in the world.
More than an event series, Trame Mediterranee is an invitation to sit around the same table and understand how biodiversity, culture, health, agriculture and community are all threads of the same fabric.
A profoundly Mediterranean fabric that, starting from Pollica, continues to speak to the world.
Book the dinner on Eventbrite, or contact the castle at +39 376 2586431.
Event Calendar
Tuesday, July 28
The Time of the Goat: The Wild Soul of Cilento
A sensory journey to discover the goat, an authentic symbol of Cilento, and the benefits of goat’s milk and cheeses.
Guest: Annacarla Tredici
Friday, July 31
Frugality and Wild Nature of Cilento
Finding beauty in simplicity. The future preserved in a pod and in the leaf of a wild herb.
Guest: Giovanna Voria
Tuesday, August 4
Seeds of the Future: The Circular World
From grain to loaf, a journey through ancient wheat varieties, organic farming and regenerative practices.
Guest: Edmondo Soffritti
Thursday, August 6
The Milky Way: Historic Dairy Traditions
The art of milk between history and innovation: mozzarella nella mortella, Cuordolio and artisanal gelato.
Guest: Silvia Chirico
Tuesday, August 11
The Alchemy of the Land in a Glass
Mixology meets local botanicals and Cilento liqueurs in a journey through aromas and tradition.
Guest: Danilo Porro
Thursday, August 13
Viticulture in Respect of the Territory
Stories of land, passion and vineyards reclaimed from the Mediterranean scrub.
Guest: Marco Serra, President of the Salerno Wine Consortium
Tuesday, August 18
The Fruit of Dionysus and the Sweetness of Biodiversity
The White Fig of Cilento and artisanal honey tell the story of the territory’s biodiversity and sweetness.
Guest: Serena Cilento
Thursday, August 20
Mare Nostrum: The Fleet of Tradition
A journey through the Cilento sea, exploring sustainable fishing, history and the traditional Menaica anchovy fishery.
Guests: Donatella Marino and Vittorio Rambaldo
Monday, August 24
The Yellow Gold of Cilento
Extra virgin olive oil, a symbol of the Mediterranean Diet and a heritage of the Cilento landscape.
Guest: Piero Matarazzo
Thursday, August 27
Final Evening: The Synthesis of Conviviality
A collective celebration of flavours dedicated to the community of custodians of the land.
