Cultural Festival of the Rural Villages of the Laga

A festival that walks from village to village

The Cultural Festival of the Rural Villages of the Laga is a travelling event that, every year for many months, crosses the small mountain centres straddling the Marche, Abruzzo, and Lazio regions. In Acquasanta Terme, in the Province of Ascoli Piceno, the festival finds some of its most authentic stops: not a single stage, but a journey that takes participants into the hamlets of the Acquasanta Apennines, along ancient mule tracks and into villages scarred by the earthquake but still alive.

Organised by the association Borghi e Sentieri della Laga OdV together with FederTrek and, locally, the Pro Loco of Acquasanta Terme, the festival combines hiking, culture, rural memory, and gastronomy. The objective is clear: to restore value to the inland areas and their inhabitants, telling a story of heritage made of work, community, and peasant traditions.

Walks, mills, and peasant memory

The heart of the Acquasanta stops is the walk. It starts early in the morning, crossing hamlets like Fornara, Torre di Sopra, and Piedicava, meeting the villagers and reaching places of memory such as the historic Mulino Angelini, where it is still possible to witness the traditional grinding of wheat and hear the miller's story.

• Guided hikes along ancient paths and mule tracks of the Laga, with moderate elevation changes and difficulty suitable for those with a minimum of training.
• Visits to mills and places of peasant work, with live demonstrations.
• Community lunches and feasts with local typical products, from the villages' broad beans to the flavours of the Apennines.
• Theatrical performances and storytelling sessions that revive the rural life of the past.

Resilient villages, within the Park

The territory of Acquasanta Terme is located in the heart of the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, in a severe and beautiful mountain landscape. Many of the villages touched by the festival have been marked by the 2016 earthquake: for this reason, the event takes on a meaning that goes beyond a simple excursion, becoming an act of care towards communities that do not want to fade away.

The Acquasanta stops are often part of larger events, such as the European Days of Mills, and dialogue with other local festivals dedicated to the Apennines. Participating means discovering a minor and precious Italy, made of paths, hamlets, and people who preserve an ancient memory.

Who is it for

The festival is ideal for those who love slow tourism, nature walks, history, and popular traditions. The stops are designed for hikers, families with slightly older children, enthusiasts of rural culture, and the curious who want to discover the authentic face of the Monti della Laga.