A Chiena Campagna is a party that transforms a rather sleepy small town in Campania into a vibrant and lively one.

Campagna’s old town reminds me a lot of the Sanita district in Naples: peeling paint on the pretty buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, shops, restaurants, and bars where locals –  not necessarily the youngest ones – discuss life or simply gossip about passing people. From time to time, a youngsters appear on the street looking like a stereotypical Italian Casanova, as do women in stylish dresses straight from films from the heyday of Italian cinema.

Campagna is very Campanian  – if it hasn’t been  you first time in this region, you immediately feel it in its atmosphere, lifestyle, the gossip, and the peeling walls.  And every summer Sunday, this peaceful place transforms beyond recognition, bringing in a lot of money for local businesses. This is thanks to the crowds of tourists, buckets, and water from the river.
The Tenza River flows through Campagna, which you can admire from the bridge. You can also dine on its banks and visit the small waterfalls, which are crowded with locals on hot days and tourists on Sundays. And this river makes even adults behave like children for over an hour.

 A Chiena Campagna- a bit of history:

In the 17th century, Campagna’s mayors started flooding the streets with river water — partly to clean them, partly to cool them; over time “a chiena” became a local tradition.

This tradition flourished for centuries; after a long hiatus, and then following the 1980 Irpini earthquake, “a chiena” was revived. Residents decided to revitalize this economically and demographically declining town by creating the “A Chiena” water festival. Or rather, they transformed “a chiena” into a summer festival.

In recent years, the “a Chiena” water festival has expanded to include the Guerra dei Colori, a Holi-inspired celebration of colored powder, and the Chiena di Mezzanotte, a nighttime water festival held on August 16th near Ferragosto.

What to expect during a Chiena water Battle.

Currently, the event takes place from late June to late August on Sundays, when the river changes course thanks to the locks and manhole. At high noon, people waiting to wade through the cold water witness a mini-performance: young men bring a large key, symbolizing the valve opener and close. Accompanied by applause and a countdown, the locks are closed, the manhole – yes, a real manhole – is opened. The main street of the old town, along with everything and everyone on it, is flooded with cold river water.

The flood is, of course, controlled, shallow, and completely safe.

And everyone is very happy with the controlled flood during the water festival a Chiena; I was too. The water flows through the main street until 1:00 PM, and during that hour, you can wade in it, run, sit in a café with river water under your feet, and so on. Logically, it’s ridiculous: freezing feet, wet clothes… why enjoy it? And yet everyone did. I did. Maybe it was the atmosphere, maybe just the thrill of a river redirected. I don’t know. But it was fun.

At 1 PM the river is turned off, like closing a giant tap. Everyone scatters for food, coffee, and buy buckets. Everyone waits  for the battle, which is the main part of a Chiena.

Of course, the locals are used to flooding, and local businesses along the route are preparing accordingly. Some shops and restaurants, especially those in the main square, close their doors and hang plastic sheets in their entrances. Those who haven’t bought buckets yet do so or find shelter somewhere safe.

And then everyone waits. It looks ridiculous – tons of people sit on the sidewalks with blue buckets in their hands, others walk around carrying buckets. A DJ plays music from the balcony in the main square, where a crowd has already gathered. People dance, sing, and wait for the battle. It begins at 3:30 PM, when the river is once again unleashed through the city. The DJ gives the signal… and the water from the buckets starts flying in all directions. 

And so it goes for an hour, although I’m not sure many people lasted the full hour, because the water is really cold. People splashing and being splashed come and go, water flies left and right, and there’s a lot of laughter. Of course, the unwritten agreement of a chiena is to avoid attacking bystanders, who are clearly not participating in the fun. But it might happen that a drop or two will land on you.,

We lasted about 30 minutes. It was warm, but not hot, so our teeth started chattering. We went to change, and that was the end of our water fight in Campagna. 

Practical information:

• You can purchase a 10 euro ticket per person, but it’s not necessary, as participation in the water festival a Chiena’ is free.
• We bought tickets, which gave us the option of using the bag storage and changing facilities free of charge.
• You can’t get to the venue by car; the access road is closed, and volunteers will direct you to the parking lots.
• After parking, you’ll need to go to the bus stop, which will take you to the venue free of charge.
• Buckets can be purchased in town (between 1.5 and 2 euros). There are specific requirements for buckets, so it’s better to buy one than to drag your own.
• Wear something you can safely get wet and won’t slip on your feet.
• It’s best to wear, for example, a swimsuit top (ladies) and shorts, or shorts for men, something you can easily take off if wet.
• Bring bathing towels.
• If you don’t want to participate in the battle of the water festival a Chiena, but just watch it, there are steps leading from the main square to a small terrace. There are further steps from the terrace – you can hide there. Don’t go too close to the stone railings, as the water will surely reach you.
• The biggest battle of the water festival a Chiena is in the main square – the further away from the square, the safer/drier.

Is it worth going to a water war?

Yes, it is. A Chiena is refreshingly simple: the water is real, the people are local (mostly from Campania), and the fun is authentic. I had a great time; of course, you can only choose the first option, i.e., walking on flowing water, but to truly experience the fun of collective madness, you should get a bucket and simply get thoroughly soaked. And douse others.