Castroreale Mystery Festival
Crime and noir fiction in the medieval village of Castroreale
About Castroreale Mystery Festival
Crime fiction returns to the medieval village
The Castroreale Mystery Festival is one of Sicily's most renowned events dedicated to crime, noir, and thriller literature. Every year, towards the end of May, the medieval village of Castroreale—a member of the 'Borghi più belli d'Italia' (Most Beautiful Villages in Italy) circuit in the province of Messina—becomes a focal point for authors, readers, and genre enthusiasts. Its squares, narrow lanes, and historic buildings provide the backdrop for a packed program of author meetings, novel presentations, exhibitions, and performances.
A festival born in 2020
Established in 2020 with a clear focus on crime and noir, the festival has steadily become a highly anticipated date on the Sicilian cultural calendar. Over the years, it has broadened its horizons, weaving genre fiction with history, visual arts, comics, and music, all while maintaining the thread of mystery. The event is organized by Pro Loco Artemisia APS with the support of the Municipality of Castroreale, under the artistic direction of writer and journalist Cristina Marra.
Venues: SS. Salvatore Auditorium and Civic Museum
The heart of the festival is the SS. Salvatore Auditorium, which hosts most of the author meetings. The Civic Museum, meanwhile, houses side exhibitions and bibliographic displays related to the year's theme. Spreading events throughout the village allows visitors to discover Castroreale's rich historical and artistic heritage simultaneously.
The Barresi Scisca Award
One of the most anticipated highlights is the presentation of the Barresi Scisca Award, a recognition conferred upon a prominent figure in Italian genre fiction. Over the years, the award has helped strengthen the festival's national profile, attracting some of the most acclaimed thriller and noir authors to Castroreale.
Meetings, exhibitions, and performances
The program alternates between book presentations, dialogues between authors, tributes to masters of the genre, and musical interludes. Recent editions have featured tributes to figures such as Andrea Camilleri and Agatha Christie, live musical accompaniment, and exhibitions dedicated to comics and illustration. This free cultural event perfectly blends literary quality with the promotion of the Messina province and Sicily.
Castroreale Mystery Festival — edition 2026
7th edition: the great names of the Italian thriller
The seventh edition of the Castroreale Mystery Festival was held on May 22 and 23, 2026, with the main venue at the SS. Salvatore Auditorium and the inauguration of a bibliographic exhibition at the Civic Museum. Artistic direction was entrusted, as is tradition, to writer and journalist Cristina Marra, with organization by Pro Loco Artemisia APS.
Featured authors included: Marina Di Guardo with the thriller Braccata, Piergiorgio Pulixi with Tutte le ragazze mentono, Giuseppe Petrarca, Olga Iossa, Carmelo Pace, Luigi La Rosa, and Alessandro Maurizi. The opening day, Friday, May 22, kicked off in the afternoon with a space dedicated to the art of comics curated by Gianfranco Vitti, who also designed the festival poster.
Barresi Scisca Award to Gabriella Genisi
The highlight of the event was the presentation of the 2026 Barresi Scisca Award to Gabriella Genisi, creator of the character PM Lolita Lobosco, who presented her work and discussed her journey in genre fiction. The festival also featured a tribute to Agatha Christie fifty years after her passing, curated by Silio Bozzi, with accordion musical accompaniment by maestro Adolfo Zagari.
Programme Castroreale Mystery Festival 2026
Friday, May 22, 2026
- Opening in the afternoon at the SS. Salvatore Auditorium
- Focus on the art of comics with Gianfranco Vitti
- Meeting on social thrillers with Giuseppe Petrarca
- Marina Di Guardo presents the thriller Braccata
Saturday, May 23, 2026
- Inauguration of the bibliographic exhibition at the Civic Museum
- Meetings on the relationship between art and crime fiction and on historical narrative
- Piergiorgio Pulixi presents Tutte le ragazze mentono
- Presentation of the Barresi Scisca Award to Gabriella Genisi
- Tribute to Agatha Christie 50 years after her passing, curated by Silio Bozzi
Highlights Castroreale Mystery Festival 2026
- 2026 Barresi Scisca Award to Gabriella Genisi
- Tribute to Agatha Christie on the 50th anniversary of her passing
- Marina Di Guardo, Piergiorgio Pulixi, and the great names of Italian noir
- Bibliographic exhibition at the Civic Museum
- Accordion musical accompaniment by maestro Adolfo Zagari
Prices Castroreale Mystery Festival 2026
Practical information — Castroreale Mystery Festival
Getting there
Castroreale is located in the hilly hinterland of the province of Messina, Sicily. By car, take the A20 Messina-Palermo motorway, exit at Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, and continue inland. The nearest train station is Barcellona-Castroreale on the Tyrrhenian line, from where you can continue by bus or car to the village.
Admission
Festival events are generally free and open to the public until capacity is reached. We recommend checking the Pro Loco Artemisia channels for the updated program and daily schedules.
Tips
The medieval village is well worth a visit: the Cathedral, the Civic Museum, and the panoramic views over the Messina hills make this trip a perfect opportunity to combine culture with slow tourism.
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Where does it take place — Castroreale Mystery Festival
Auditorium SS. Salvatore