Città del Libro
The national publishing and culture festival of Salento
About Città del Libro
The Città del Libro in Campi Salentina
Città del Libro is one of the longest-running cultural festivals in Southern Italy dedicated to books and reading. Born in 1995 in Campi Salentina, in the heart of Northern Salento in the province of Lecce, it has established itself over the years as a true national publishing and culture festival, capable of attracting writers, journalists, philosophers, and artists from all over Italy. In 2007, the event received recognition from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities as the best Italian initiative for the promotion of books and reading, an award confirming its national stature.
A festival spread throughout the town center
The festival thrives on its connection to the iconic landmarks of Campi Salentina's center. The Teatro Excelsior - Carmelo Bene, named after the great Salento actor and playwright, is the hub for author meetings; Piazza Libertà becomes the city's open and shared space; the Sala Don Pietro Serio hosts workshops and participatory activities. This structure makes Città del Libro a widespread event, where culture steps out of closed venues and flows through the streets and squares of the town.
More than just books
The program is not limited to book presentations: every edition weaves together different languages, from literature to music, from theater to public debates on current affairs. There are author meetings, dialogues, shows, concerts, exhibitions, screenings, guided tours, and workshops for younger audiences. Great attention is paid to involving schools and families, with paths designed to introduce children and teenagers to reading.
A network of supporters
The event is promoted by the Fondazione Città del Libro together with the Municipality of Campi Salentina and involves a wide network of partners, including the Chamber of Commerce, the University of Salento, and numerous local entities committed to promoting Puglian culture. Admission to the events is free, in line with the festival's popular and inclusive vocation.
A defining event for Salento
For Campi Salentina and the entire Puglia region, Città del Libro is much more than a literary festival: it is a defining event that, every spring, transforms a small town in Salento into a capital of books, where established and emerging authors engage with a curious and passionate audience.
Città del Libro — edition 2026
The twenty-fifth edition of Città del Libro celebrated an important milestone for the Campi Salentina festival, confirming the theme "Seekers of Beauty": not an abstract or ideal beauty, but something that closely concerns daily life, relationships, and the way we look at the world. The program, spread over four days, alternated between author meetings, moments of dialogue, shows, music, and workshop activities, with particular attention to involving students and families.
The edition strengthened the synergy between the Academy, the University of Salento, and the local area, with a lineup that spanned literature, journalism, philosophy, and entertainment. The events were distributed between the Teatro Excelsior - Carmelo Bene, the heart of the meetings, Piazza Libertà, and the Sala Don Pietro Serio.
Programme Città del Libro 2026
Theme — Seekers of Beauty
The 25th edition offered four days of free meetings dedicated to the theme of beauty, with guests from all over Italy. Among the announced protagonists:
- Massimo Bray, Director of the Treccani Encyclopedia Institute
- Giancarlo De Cataldo, magistrate and writer
- Gio Evan, poet, writer, and singer-songwriter
- Alessandro Cecchi Paone, journalist and popularizer
- Luigi De Magistris
- Fausto Bertinotti
- Marianna Aprile, journalist
- Raffaella Notariale, journalist
- Stefano Rossi, pedagogue
- Saverio Tommasi, journalist
- Mingo (Domenico De Chirico)
- Maria Agostina Cabiddu, professor at the Polytechnic University of Milan
Thursday, April 23 — Inauguration
- 6:00 PM — At the Teatro Excelsior - Carmelo Bene, the University of Salento presented the "Letture Prossime" (Upcoming Readings) series, featuring local-themed works and dialogue with the authors.
The full day-by-day program, with meetings, shows, music, and workshops distributed between the Teatro Excelsior, Piazza Libertà, and the Sala Don Pietro Serio, was published on the official festival website.
Highlights Città del Libro 2026
Prices Città del Libro 2026
Practical information — Città del Libro
Getting there
Campi Salentina is located in Northern Salento, in the province of Lecce. By car, it can be reached via the SS613 Brindisi-Lecce road; the Campi Salentina train station is served by the Lecce-Novoli-Nardò line and Trenitalia. The nearest airports are Brindisi-Casale (approx. 30 km) and Bari-Palese.
Venues
Events take place mainly at the Teatro Excelsior - Carmelo Bene, in Piazza Libertà, and in the Sala Don Pietro Serio, all in the town center.
Admission
Admission to the events is free. The full program is published on the official festival website.
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Where does it take place — Città del Libro
Teatro Excelsior - Carmelo Bene
Piazza Libertà, 73012 Campi Salentina