Capalbio Piazza Magenta International Award

An award that tells the story of Italian culture

The Capalbio Piazza Magenta International Award is a literary and cultural event held every summer in Capalbio, a charming village in the Grosseto Province, in the heart of the Tuscan Maremma. Promoted by the Fondazione Capalbio, the award was created to highlight the most significant voices in literature, non-fiction, journalism, and entertainment, transforming the small hilltop town for a few days into a premier meeting point for the country's cultural debate.

Categories and honors

The award is divided into several sections, which over the years have recognized authors and key figures of the Italian cultural scene. Historical categories include:

• Fiction and Non-fiction, dedicated to the best works of the year
• Journalism and Television Culture
• Entertainment, for personalities from the world of show business
• Territory Award, linked to the Maremma and its authors
• the Fondazione Capalbio Award for Translated Works, which honors the often quiet work of translators
• the Special Jury Prize

The jury, composed over the years of prominent writers, academics, and journalists, presents the awards during a public ceremony that has become a classic of the Capalbio August calendar.

The new home: Teatro del Leccio

The 2026 edition marks a turning point for Capalbio's entire cultural season: the ceremony is held in the new Teatro del Leccio, an open-air amphitheater inaugurated in 2026 and designed by architect Maurice Nio. The structure has become the centerpiece of a record-breaking summer, with about seventy events between June and September dedicated to music, theater, literature, cinema, and popular traditions.

Capalbio, cultural capital of the summer

For decades, Capalbio has been a favorite destination for intellectuals, artists, and politicians, so much so that it is ironically nicknamed the "Saint-Tropez of the Left." The Piazza Magenta Award perfectly embodies this vocation: an event that combines the beauty of the medieval village, overlooking the Maremma countryside and just a few kilometers from the sea, with the quality of cultural debate. For those visiting Tuscany in late August, it is the ideal opportunity to discover an event that is both intimate and prestigious, far from the major circuits yet capable of attracting some of the most important names in Italian culture.