Collelongo Folk Culture Festival

A folk culture festival in the Marsica region

The Folk Culture Festival takes place in Collelongo, a small town in the Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, nestled in the Marsica mountains on the edge of the Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National Park. Founded in 2021 by the Gianni Bosio Circle of Rome—a historic institution dedicated to the study of folk music and traditions—the festival has grown year after year to become a key summer event for the Apennine interior.

The festival is typically held in the second half of July, bringing the village's squares, courtyards, and open spaces to life, including the evocative Lavandeto on the outskirts of town. It is a widespread and participatory event, designed to physically inhabit the streets of Collelongo and directly involve the Fucino community.

Music, oral history, and collective memory

The core of the festival lies in the intersection of folk music, oral history, and civic engagement. The program alternates between evening concerts, practical workshops, round tables, and performances dedicated to themes such as folk and working-class cultures, historical and contemporary resistance, agriculture and farmers' rights, peace, and the memory of inland areas threatened by depopulation.

The daytime workshops are a distinctive feature: from oral history sessions with Alessandro Portelli to ensemble music with Mario Salvi, from anti-war songs to world dances, as well as children's workshops and sessions dedicated to the local cuisine and the "agricultural resistance" of the territory. The evenings host concerts and theatrical performances that have featured nationally renowned artists such as Vinicio Capossela and Moni Ovadia.

A temporary community in the spirit of Gianni Bosio

The festival's philosophy, inspired by the teachings of the Gianni Bosio Circle, is to create a temporary community that gathers to share stories, sing, and dance, preserving the collective memory of the Apennine villages. It is a festival that speaks of the roots and future of inland areas, giving voice to oral traditions while maintaining a critical perspective on the present.

• Location: Village of Collelongo, Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo
• Organization: Gianni Bosio Circle with the Municipality of Collelongo, the Pro Loco, and local associations
• Program: Workshops, round tables, concerts, and evening performances
• Free admission to all events

Why attend

Visitors to Collelongo will find an authentic festival, far from the major commercial circuits, where folk music blends with the history of the landscape and the life of the village. Between communal dinners organized by local associations, meetings with scholars and musicians, and the mountain setting of the Marsica region, the Folk Culture Festival is a precious opportunity to experience the Abruzzo summer in a unique way.