Conversazioni dal Mare
The Gargano stop of the literature, journalism, and music festival at the Belvedere di Monte Saraceno in Mattinata
About Conversazioni dal Mare
Conversazioni dal Mare: culture arrives on the Gargano
Born on the coast of Bari, "Conversazioni dal Mare" has grown into a traveling festival that brings current affairs and civic reflection to the seaside every summer. After the evenings in Giovinazzo, the festival conceived and promoted by the Artemia Association heads up the Adriatic coast to Mattinata, the "white city" overlooking the Gargano in the province of Foggia, Puglia. Here, on the evocative Belvedere di Monte Saraceno along Corso Matino, the event finds one of its most scenic settings, with views stretching across the sea and the Gargano coastline.
Two open-air evenings
The Mattinata stop features two evenings of free meetings where prominent journalists, writers, judges, activists, and key figures of the Italian public debate take the stage. The format is based on direct dialogue: each guest discusses their latest book or a current topic in a close-up exchange with a large and attentive audience. Reportage, stories of legality, memory, civil rights, and literary narration make up a program that combines in-depth analysis with summer lightness, following the festival's motto: "the scent of stories."
Words and music under the stars
Alongside the meetings, "Conversazioni dal Mare" always reserves space for live music, with readings and dialogues that intertwine words with performances by singer-songwriters and artists. The evenings begin at sunset and continue with several consecutive events, allowing the public to experience the Belvedere as an open-air cultural lounge, blending literature, social commitment, and singer-songwriter music.
A festival that unites Puglia
With free admission to all meetings, the event confirms its popular and inclusive vocation. The Mattinata stop, supported by the Municipality of Mattinata together with the Artemia Association, offers residents and tourists an authentic cultural experience in the heart of the Gargano summer, combining the tourist appeal of the Gargano with the quality of a national-level program. This is how "Conversazioni dal Mare" roots its idea of shared culture in the territory, between the historic town center, its bays, and the ancient necropolises of Monte Saraceno.
Why attend
- Free admission to all evenings
- Leading guests from Italian journalism, literature, and culture
- A unique setting: the Belvedere di Monte Saraceno, overlooking the Adriatic
- Live music and direct dialogue with authors under the Gargano stars
Conversazioni dal Mare — edition 2026
On July 10 and 11, 2026, the Belvedere di Monte Saraceno in Mattinata will host the Gargano leg of "Conversazioni dal Mare," part of the edition that the Artemia Association festival also brings to Giovinazzo. Two evenings with free admission, starting at 8:15 PM, for a program that weaves together literature, journalism, civil memory, and live music.
Among the prominent guests are former mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni, former President of the Senate and judge Pietro Grasso, journalist and writer Concita De Gregorio in dialogue with Apulian singer-songwriter Erica Mou, sports personality and narrator Marino Bartoletti, human rights activist Pegah Moshir Pour, and Father Antonio Coluccia, who is committed to working in Italian suburbs against crime and marginalization. Each meeting revolves around the author's latest book, in a direct exchange with the public under the Gargano stars.
Programme Conversazioni dal Mare 2026
Friday, July 10
- 8:15 PM — Walter Veltroni, «Il bar di Cinecittà», a story about the memory of Italian cinema
- 9:15 PM — Pietro Grasso, «U Maxi. Dentro il processo a Cosa Nostra»
- 10:15 PM — Concita De Gregorio with Erica Mou, «La cura», a dialogue between words and music on fragility, affections, and relationships
Saturday, July 11
- 8:15 PM — Marino Bartoletti, «Caro Lucio ti scrivo», a tribute to Lucio Dalla
- 9:15 PM — Pegah Moshir Pour, testimony on women's rights and freedom in Iran
- 10:15 PM — Father Antonio Coluccia, «Il prete indigesto», the story of his commitment in the suburbs against crime and social hardship
Highlights Conversazioni dal Mare 2026
Prices Conversazioni dal Mare 2026
Practical information — Conversazioni dal Mare
When
The festival takes place in summer, usually in the first half of July, over two consecutive evenings. Meetings generally begin at 8:15 PM and continue until late at night.
Where
Belvedere di Monte Saraceno, along Corso Matino, in Mattinata (FG), Puglia. The festival is part of the traveling project "Conversazioni dal Mare," which also visits Giovinazzo (BA).
Admission
Free admission to all meetings. Arriving early is recommended to secure a seat, given the large turnout.
How to get there
Mattinata is located on the southern side of the Gargano, in the province of Foggia. By car, it is accessible via the SS89 Garganica; the nearest train stations are in Foggia and Manfredonia, which are connected to the town by bus lines. The Belvedere di Monte Saraceno is a short distance from the town center and has parking nearby.
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Where does it take place — Conversazioni dal Mare
Belvedere di Monte Saraceno
Corso Matino, 71030 Mattinata