What do you eat in Campania on Ferragosto? Palatella! If you’re in the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese area between Naples and Salerno, you won’t have to think about it too long, because for locals the answer is obvious.
More specifically, between the night of August 14 and 15, the faithful traditionally go on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Mater Domini in Nocera Superiore (near Salerno) to celebrate the Assumption of Mary, which occurs on the very day of Ferragosto. Originally this pagan holiday celebrating Emperor Augustus was on August 1, but the Catholic Church moved it to coincide with the Assumption. Once you reach your destination, eating the typical palatella panino is a must.
Legend has it that the Virgin Mary appeared before a peasant girl named Caramari in a dream, inviting the faithful to dig in a very specific point under an oak tree. That was where the picture of a Madonna with child was found. So in 1061, a basilica was built in her honor.
In the past, meat was not eaten on the eve of the Assumption. The peasants on pilgrimage to the sanctuary carried a sort of loaf with them, stuffed with two simple ingredients. The filling is called ’mpupata and is made with pickled eggplant seasoned with oregano, garlic, chili pepper, and salted anchovies from Cetara. A combination of land and sea that guarantees a hearty and tasty meal. Even today, the traditional palatella is specially prepared in this way, not just for the religious festival. It’s a must in Nocera during the typical family reunions of Ferragosto, but also as a packed lunch to take to the beach.
Enjoy it with a nice pitcher of wine with Percoche peaches. And to cool off from the summer heat, enjoy o’ mellon e fuoc (fire melon), i.e. watermelon.