Badhesa – Roots in Motion

A celebration of Abruzzo's Arbëreshë roots

Badhesa – Roots in Motion is a festival celebrating the Arbëreshë identity of Villa Badessa, a hamlet in the municipality of Rosciano, in the province of Pescara, Abruzzo. Villa Badessa (Badhesa in Albanian) is the only historic Albanian settlement in the region: it was founded in 1743 by families of Albanian refugees of the Greek-Byzantine rite, who arrived in the Kingdom of Naples and settled on these hills, halfway between the Adriatic coast and the massifs of the Maiella and Gran Sasso.

A bridge between Abruzzo and Molise

The event, promoted by the Villa Badessa Cultural Association in collaboration with the Municipality of Rosciano, serves as an opportunity for meeting and dialogue between the historic linguistic minorities present in the territories of Abruzzo and Molise. Alongside the local community, the festival welcomes the Arbëreshë communities from the Molise towns of Ururi, Montecilfone, and San Felice del Molise, in a dialogue that connects distant villages bound by the same origin and language.

The day: memory, cuisine, and music

The event takes place over a full day in the public park of Villa Badessa. The program includes a welcome and a guided tour of the historic center, featuring the Byzantine-rite Church of Santa Maria Assunta and its icon of the Madonna Odigitria. This is followed by a convivial lunch featuring traditional Arbëreshë dishes, including the famous tepsi, a savory pie filled with vegetables, onions, and pine nuts.

• People's Parliament of Linguistic Minorities: a moment of dialogue between communities and institutions regarding the future of minority languages;
• Traditional dances from various Arbëreshë cultures throughout the afternoon;
• Evening concert in the square to close the festival.

Why it is worth attending

More than just a local festival, Roots in Motion is a cultural project aimed at valuing the memory and language of the Arbëreshë minority, now spoken by very few people. Participating means discovering a little-known side of Abruzzo, where Albanian tradition, the Greek-Byzantine rite, and Italian identity have coexisted for nearly three centuries. An authentic experience blending history, gastronomy, and hospitality in the heart of the Pescara province.