Cultura CITTADINA(POLI)

The cultural festival of the Municipality of Massa di Somma

Cultura CITTADINA(POLI) is the cultural hub through which the Municipality of Massa di Somma, a small town at the foot of Mount Vesuvius in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, enlivens its summer and early autumn evenings every year. Launched in 2023, the festival brings together under one title the literary and food-and-wine festival Apericult… la cultura si fa in strada and the performances of the "Carmela Maddaloni" Municipal Theatre, creating a calendar that weaves together books, live music, Neapolitan theatre, and comedy.

The wordplay in the title says a lot: it is the "city" (cittadina) culture of a municipality of about five thousand inhabitants that chooses to engage as an equal with Naples and the entire Vesuvian area. A gamble that, for a town of this size, has few parallels in the province: in just a few editions, the event has brought nationally renowned journalists, writers, actors, and musicians to the town, always without charging the public for tickets.

Apericult: books, music, and aperitifs at the "Meravilla" Municipal Villa

The literary heart of the festival is Apericult, which reached its eighth edition in 2026 and is now the most recognizable part of the project. The meetings take place in the "Meravilla" Municipal Villa, on Corso Luigi Pirandello, and always follow the same well-tested format: an author presents their book in a talk format, moderated by a journalist, with musical interludes by singers and instrumentalists and an open dialogue with the audience. At the end, an aperitif is offered to participants: hence the name of the event, which combines the idea of an aperitif with that of shared culture in the open air.

The formula is designed to take books out of bookstores and closed rooms, returning them to the square and public green spaces. As a result, on the evenings of the meetings, the municipal villa becomes a meeting place for families, students, and readers from neighboring Vesuvian towns, from Cercola to San Sebastiano al Vesuvio and Pollena Trocchia.

The "Carmela Maddaloni" Municipal Theatre

The other soul of the festival is theatrical, hosted in the "Carmela Maddaloni" Municipal Theatre on Viale delle Magnolie. Here, the program has focused over the years on three genres much loved by the Campanian public: Neapolitan comedy, with actors and character performers well-known to the general television public; concert-shows, which mix classic Neapolitan songs with contemporary reinterpretations; and narrative theatre, often dedicated to iconic figures of Neapolitan culture. Performances generally take place at 9:00 PM, and in this case, too, admission is free, with reservations required due to capacity limits.

A project by the Municipality with the "L'ora d'aria" association

The event is promoted by the Municipal Administration led by Mayor Gioacchino Madonna, with the coordination of Dr. Ilaria Caruso, municipal secretary and head of the culture department. Operational organization is entrusted to the "L'ora d'aria" association, which has managed the festival for several consecutive years, handling artistic direction, relations with publishers and authors, and audience reception. The original project of Apericult is instead owed to its creator, Clara Ilardo, who established its literary, musical, and food-and-wine focus from the very beginning.

Why it is worth visiting

• Always free admission: no tickets, neither for literary meetings nor for theatrical performances.
• Aperitif offered to the public at Apericult events, featuring local Vesuvian products.
• Nationally renowned guests in an intimate setting, where it is truly possible to talk with authors and actors at the end of the evening.
• Open-air evenings in the municipal villa, ideal for the evenings of May, June, and September.
• Multidisciplinary formula: a single program for books, live music, theatre, and comedy.

Massa di Somma and the Vesuvian area

Massa di Somma is one of the smallest municipalities in the Metropolitan City of Naples and is part of the Vesuvius National Park: from the town center, the volcano is a constant presence on the horizon. Its position makes it a convenient base for those who want to combine a cultural evening with a visit to the Vesuvian area, from the Park's trails to the excavations of Herculaneum and Pompeii, which can be reached in a few dozen minutes. A festival that is also a good excuse to get to know a Neapolitan province far from mass tourism circuits.