Festiv'Alba

Festiv'Alba: Early music among the abbeys of the Marsica region

Festiv'Alba is one of the most long-standing and beloved cultural festivals in inland Abruzzo, promoted by the Harmonia Novissima ETS association under the artistic direction of Massimo Coccia. Every summer, the festival unfolds across the archaeological site of Alba Fucens (Massa d'Albe), the historic churches of the municipality of Magliano de' Marsi, and the villages of the Altopiano delle Rocche, in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo. Symphonic concerts, theatrical performances featuring major national names, and early music evenings make up a widespread program that blends landscape, history, and high-quality music.

Rosciolo dei Marsi and its abbeys

The festival's heartbeat in Magliano pulses in Rosciolo dei Marsi, a hamlet of Magliano de' Marsi, where the early music section finds its ideal setting. The Church of Santa Maria in Valle Porclaneta, an 11th-century Romanesque jewel housing a rare iconostasis and a carved ambo, and the nearby church of San Pietro host medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque concerts performed by specialized ensembles and soloists. Since 2018, Rosciolo has been a permanent part of the Harmonia Novissima circuit, with programs dedicated to rediscovering ancient repertoire performed on period instruments.

A widespread regional program

Alongside early music, Festiv'Alba offers major evening events in the Roman amphitheatre of Alba Fucens and in the squares of the Marsica municipalities, featuring classical and symphonic music, theatre shows, and open-air appointments immersed in the nature of Monte Velino and the Altopiano delle Rocche. It is a formula that brings the general public closer to the historical and landscape heritage of Abruzzo, showcasing churches, abbeys, and archaeological sites that are otherwise rarely visited.

A festival for the territory

• Organization: Harmonia Novissima ETS, artistic direction by Massimo Coccia
• Venues in Magliano de' Marsi: Churches of Santa Maria in Valle Porclaneta and San Pietro in Rosciolo dei Marsi
• Early music section: Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque repertoire on period instruments
• Accessible entry: Affordable ticket prices for concerts in the abbeys

With its widespread vocation and choice of historically rich locations, Festiv'Alba has become a hallmark event for Magliano de' Marsi and the entire Marsica region, attracting classical music enthusiasts, tourists, and families to a natural and monumental setting of extraordinary beauty.