FestAmbiente Alto Cilento (Laureana Cilento leg)

A widespread festival in the heart of Upper Cilento

FestAmbiente Alto Cilento is the Cilento-based edition of FestAmbiente, the event that Legambiente has dedicated for years to ecology, culture, and civic participation. It is organized by the Legambiente "Ancel Keys" Torchiara - Alto Cilento Circle, named after the American physiologist who studied and documented the Mediterranean diet in this very part of Campania. Each year, the festival changes location, involving different municipalities in the hilly hinterland: the Alento River Oasis, Ogliastro Cilento, Torchiara, Cicerale, and Laureana Cilento. It is not a static event, but a traveling festival that brings environmental debate to a new town square each time.

The Laureana Cilento leg

Laureana Cilento is a small municipality in the province of Salerno, Campania, perched on the hills overlooking the sea between Agropoli and Castellabate, within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. Here, the festival is spread across three locations in the village, all within walking distance: the Pasquale di Stasi Municipal Library, the Town Hall Council Chamber, and Piazza Aldo Moro, which becomes the heart of the evening with its food stand and closing concert.

The formula is simple and well-tested: late afternoon dedicated to children with environmental education workshops, early evening reserved for public discussion between administrators, scholars, and activists, and the night dedicated to live music and local Cilento cuisine. A single day, designed to ensure no age group is left out.

"The beauty that saves": the theme of the 6th edition

The sixth edition, held on August 28 in Cicerale and August 29, 2025, in Laureana Cilento, chose "The beauty that saves" as its guiding thread. In Laureana, the discussion focused on the theme "Cultural drought: how to regenerate participation in local areas", with Mayor Angelo Serra, the President of the National Park Giuseppe Coccorullo, sociologist Maurizio Merico from the University of Salerno, and Legambiente Campania director Francesca Ferro. The theme is not rhetorical: in the inland villages of Cilento, depopulation and the struggle of local associations are real, and the festival aims to be a concrete response rather than just a showcase.

Workshops, meetings, gastronomy, and music

• RiciclaEstate: a workshop for children and teenagers on recycling and waste reduction, with the distribution of information materials.
• The public talk in the Council Chamber, which changes theme every year and brings together mayors, researchers, young activists, and Park representatives.
• The food stand managed by the Laureana Cilento Youth Forum, featuring traditional local dishes.
• The concert in Piazza Aldo Moro, which closes the day: in 2025, it featured the band Export.

Environment and community: the work of the "Ancel Keys" Circle

FestAmbiente Alto Cilento does not arise from nothing: it is the public highlight of activities that last all year round. The circle organizes volunteer camps—such as "Generazione Changemaker"—and campaigns to monitor water and air quality in the district, the results of which are presented during the festival. It is a way to provide citizens with concrete data on the territory they live in, rather than just empty talk.

The event is held under the patronage of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, with the support of the host municipal administrations and the contribution of BCC Magna Graecia.

Why it is worth visiting Laureana

Those spending the summer on the Cilento coast will find here a free, family-friendly alternative to the beach nightlife: a village square, a serious but accessible discussion, a plate of Cilento food, and an open-air concert. All this just twenty minutes by car from the sea of Agropoli and Santa Maria di Castellabate. For those who want to understand Cilento beyond the beaches, it is an evening well spent.

The 2026 edition

At the time of writing, the organizers have not yet announced the dates for the next edition. The festival traditionally takes place in the heart of summer, between late July and late August, and the host location can change from year to year: it is advisable to follow the channels of the Legambiente "Ancel Keys" Torchiara - Alto Cilento Circle and the Municipality of Laureana Cilento for confirmation of the calendar.