L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2025 L'Italo-Americano ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS PEOPLE ACTIVITIES August 16th to coincide with the Feast of the Assumption; the latter event draws larger c r o w d s a n d f e a t u r e s l i v e music, light installations, and sometimes impromptu the- atrical performances. All of this takes place with water continuously flowing through the streets, which remain submerged for the duration. A key landmark of the 'A Chiena celebrations is the Fontana della Chiena, c r e a t e d d u r i n g t h e 1 9 8 0 s r e v i v a l : l o c a t e d n e a r t h e p o i n t w h e r e t h e r i v e r i s diverted, it is a tribute to the tradition and to the efforts that brought it back to life, as well as a practical meeting point for participants and a popular photo spot for visi- tors. Of course, participation is entirely voluntary. There is no ticket fee, no assigned s e a t i n g , a n d n o f o r m a l parade. People show up with towels, dry clothes, water- proof bags, and sometimes goggles. Footwear varies: s o m e g o b a r e f o o t , o t h e r s wear rubber sandals. Resi- dents along the water route sometimes watch from bal- conies or ground-floor win- dows, but more often than ta, usually takes place in the morning and invites people to walk barefoot through the s h a l l o w w a t e r t h a t f l o w s through the streets. It's a contemplative experience, popular with families and children, and often accompa- nied by music and local ven- dors selling refreshments. The afternoon is reserved for the more rowdy compo- nent: the secchiata. This is when participants bring plas- tic buckets and splash water on each other, in what can only be defined as a sponta- neous, chaotic, and open-to- all moment of socialization. You don't need a ticket or a costume, just a change of clothes and a willingness to g e t s o a k e d . C h i l d r e n a n d teenagers take the lead, but adults join in without hesita- tion. The only rule is to use clean water and avoid target- ing bystanders who clearly aren't participating. In recent years, the pro- gram expanded to include thematic events, such as the Guerra dei Colori, a color- f u l p o w d e r c e l e b r a t i o n inspired by Holi festivals, and the Chiena di Mez- zanotte, a late-night water c e l e b r a t i o n h e l d a r o u n d not, they join in, too. Tourists come from across the region, especially from Naples and Salerno, to escape the heat and enjoy something unique- ly local. In recent years, 'A Chiena attracted attention from Ital- ian media and travel blogs, which often described it as one of the most unusual fes- tivals in Italy. Growing visi- b i l i t y , h o w e v e r , s p a r k e d some discussion about sus- tainability: with southern I t a l y f a c i n g i n c r e a s i n g l y severe droughts, questions were raised about the use of f r e s h w a t e r f o r e n t e r t a i n - ment. However, local author- ities responded by emphasiz- ing that the water used is not wasted, rather, it's diverted temporarily to return later to its natural course, filtered and untreated, without any impact on drinking water reserves or irrigation sys- tems. I n a s u m m e r s e a s o n increasingly dominated by crowded beaches, expensive resorts, and curated experi- ences, the flooded streets of Campagna offer something r e f r e s h i n g l y s i m p l e : t h e water is real, the people are local, and the fun is genuine. and entirely safe. In fact, locals are so used to it that b u s i n e s s e s a n d r e s i d e n t s a l o n g t h e r o u t e p r e p a r e accordingly, and many take part in the fun. ' A C h i e n a d i d n ' t r u n through the centuries with- out interruption, though. There was a long pause in the 1970s, but the practice w a s r e v i v e d i n t h e e a r l y 1980s, following the devas- tating Irpinia earthquake of 1980. The decision to bring it back was, actually, p a r t o f a w i d e r e f f o r t t o restore a sense of identity, vitality, and communal cele- bration in a town that, like many others in the area, was dealing with depopulation and economic stagnation, as well as the aftermath of the e a r t h q u a k e i t s e l f . L o c a l a r t i s t s , c i v i c g r o u p s , a n d municipal authorities joined forces to reinvent 'A Chiena as a summer-long festival, part folk ritual, part public art occasion. T o d a y , t h e e v e n t r u n s every weekend from mid- July to mid-August, with dif- ferent types of "floodings" scheduled throughout the day. The most peaceful ver- sion, called the passeggia- C a m p a g n a i s a small town in the p r o v i n c e o f Salerno, located b e t w e e n t h e Picentini mountains and the Sele valley, with a population of just under 17,000. It's a quiet place for most of the year, known historical- ly for its religious institutions and stone bridges, and more recently, as a stopping point for those exploring the hin- terland between the Amalfi C o a s t a n d t h e C i l e n t o National Park. B u t e v e r y J u l y a n d A u g u s t , i t s s t o n e - p a v e d Corso Umberto I becomes something else entirely: a shallow waterway that runs through the centre of town, soaking everyone and everything in its path. Y e s , y o u r e a d t h a t r i g h t ! E v e r y s u m m e r , i t s m a i n streets are deliberately flood- ed with water from the near- by Tenza River, following a centuries-old practice known as 'A Chiena, which began as a way to clean and cool the streets during the hottest m o n t h s , b u t e n d e d u p becoming a distinctive local tradition, still carried out using the same basic diver- sion system designed some 400 years ago. Indeed, the tradition of 'A Chiena dates back to at least the mid-seventeenth cen- t u r y , w h e n C a m p a g n a ' s municipal authorities estab- lished a system to redirect the course of the Tenza River for a very practical reason: the summer months were d r y , h o t , a n d u n s a n i t a r y , with streets accumulating d u s t , a n i m a l w a s t e , a n d household refuse. Diverting fresh river water through town was a way to clean the s t r e e t s , c o o l t h e a i r , a n d reduce the risk of disease. Over time, what had begun as a hygienic practice turned into a moment of community gathering and, eventually, a local tradition. The logistics of it all are simple, but clever: using a stone dam system built cen- turies ago and still function- ing today, water is rerouted through specially designed canals that lead into the cen- tre of Campagna, where the s y s t e m e m p t i e s o n t o t h e main street and through the town square, Piazza Mel- chiorre Guerriero, before flowing out again. The flood- ing is controlled, shallow, GIULIA FRANCESCHINI The freshest of Italy's summer traditions: 'A Chiena The La Secchiata session during the Chiena (Photo: Gianfranco Vitolo/Flickr. Wikicommons. CC BY 2.0)

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