The Matese and Don Alfonso 1890 have joined forces to bring the region's authentic mountain heritage to Michelin tables, creating a sustainable model for the future of local communities.
The support of the Iaccharino family
The Iaccharino family, founders of Don Alfonso 1890 in Sant'Agata dei Due Golfi, and one of Italy's most respected culinary dynasties, is sending a powerful message by lending its expertise and philosophy to the project "Cultural and Social Regeneration of the Historic Villages in the Matese Region - Castello del Matese and Letino." Part of Italy's PNRR state-funded programme for the cultural and social regeneration of historic towns and villages, the project earned the backing of the Iaccarino family, whose commitment to biodiversity, organic agriculture and Southern Italy's gastronomic heritage is internationally acclaimed and celebrated. 
Don Alfonso 1890: protecting traditional agriculture
The Michelin-starred cuisine of Don Alfonso, Livia, Mario and Ernesto Iaccarino has taken the flavours of southern Italy to the world, from Macau to Marrakech's iconic La Mamounia and from Aukland to Toronto. The Iaccharino's support of the Matese Project, which brings together local restaurateurs and chefs, universities, producers, and tourism operators, sends a strong message of a shared belief that protects exceptional landscapes and traditional agriculture while providing a sustainable model for the future of local communities. 
Potatoes, truffles, rye and honey
The setting is as extraordinary as the vision. The Matese massif, which stretches across Campania and Molise, is a landscape of limestone peaks, ancient forests, mountain pastures and timeless villages like Castello del Matese and Letino. Cool summers, abundant spring waters and varied soils have shaped centuries of small-scale farming, preserving an exceptional biodiversity that today forms the foundation of the area's cultural identity and economic potential. Among Matese's finest treasures is the celebrated Black Truffle of Matese, recognized as a Traditional Agri-food Product (PAT) of Campania. All nine edible species of Tuber make this area one of the foremost for truffles in southern Italy. Equally prized is the Letino potato, cultivated at around 1,200 metres, while the local rye, cultivated since the Middle Ages, and wildflower honeys are also local Slow Food products.
Matese operators welcomed to the Don Alfonso cooking school
For the Iaccarino family these products embody authentic flavours and traditions that deserve to be protected and celebrated, and their involvement has given the Matese Project an influential voice. Don Alfonso 1890 recently welcomed Matese tourism operators into the restaurant's renowned cooking school, where they worked alongside Mario and Chef Ernesto Iaccarino and Ernesto's second Mario Pignatelli, to reinterpret the Matese's traditional mountain ingredients using contemporary culinary techniques. “Putting our experience at the service of the Matese means sharing techniques and a deep understanding of local ingredients, so that producers and hospitality professionals can become ambassadors for their land,- says Ernesto Iaccarino. -Learning how to respect and showcase a potato, rye or a truffle is more than just about cooking, it means nurturing a more sustainable and conscious future.”
A catalyst for authentic tourism rooted in local identity
"The survival of traditional products and their future depend on our ability to place them at the centre and tell their story,- adds Mario Iaccharino. -Only by keeping this connection alive and strengthening the supply chain can we continue to bring the true character of our territories to the table." Bringing together scientific research, sustainable agriculture, world-class cusine, and with the support of visionary partners like Don Alfonso 1890, the Matese Project reinforces the idea that gastronomy, when embraced as a shared cultural heritage, is a powerful catalyst for regeneration, destination. promotion and authentic tourism rooted in local identity.
