Festival delle Storie (Settefrati leg)

A festival spread across the villages of the Comino Valley

The Festival delle Storie is a travelling literary festival born in the heart of the Comino Valley, in the province of Frosinone, on the edge of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park. Conceived by Vittorio Macioce, journalist and artistic director of the event, together with Rachele Brancatisano, the festival brings writers, journalists, scientists, musicians, and witnesses of our time to the squares and courtyards of the valley's villages every summer. Each day takes place in a different village: a format that transforms an entire valley in Ciociaria into an open-air narrative stage.

The Settefrati leg

In the calendar of the 17th edition, scheduled from August 23 to 29, 2026, the Municipality of Settefrati hosts the day of Tuesday, August 25, 2026. The meetings are concentrated between Piazza Municipio and the historic center of the town, with a morning opening outside the town walls on the shores of the nearby Lake Posta Fibreno, one of the natural wonders of the area. Settefrati, a mountain village overlooking the valley and gateway to Val Canneto, is one of the historic legs of the festival, which since its first editions has linked its narrative to the villages of the valley: in addition to Settefrati, the 2026 edition will visit San Donato Val di Comino, Gallinaro, Casalvieri, Picinisco, Alvito, and Atina.

The 2026 theme: The Canticle of the Creatures

The 2026 edition is entirely inspired by the Canticle of the Creatures by Saint Francis of Assisi, on the eighth centenary of the saint's death (1226-2026). Each day of the festival explores an element of the Canticle, and the Settefrati day is largely dedicated to water: from the nature story at Lake Posta Fibreno to "stories that save" linked to books and water, up to the wonders of the abyss recounted by underwater explorer and photographer Alberto Luca Recchi and the memory of the Andrea Doria tragedy.

Guests and highlights of the day

The program published for the Settefrati leg includes, among others:

• the "Canticle of the Creatures" nature walk at Posta Fibreno with Aurora Piaggesi;
• the meeting "Water in books" with Enza Alfano and Angela Flori;
• Catena Fiorello with the novel "Serenata salentina";
• Alberto Luca Recchi with "Il Secondo Paradiso", a journey through the secrets of the sea;
• Sergio Barducci with "La vita oltre la paura", dedicated to the Andrea Doria tragedy;
• the documentary "Le Marocchinate del '44" by Damiana Leone, which gives a voice to the women of Lower Lazio;
• the after-festival with conversations and free music between guests and the public.

The spirit of the festival

Since its inception, the Festival delle Storie has had a declared vocation: to bring culture into the squares, streets, and historic spaces of small towns, free of charge and for everyone. Alongside the authors, the protagonists are also the readers of the valley — farmers, doctors, artisans, students, the elderly, and children — called upon to read and tell stories. It is a formula that has made the festival one of the most recognizable cultural events of the summer in southern Lazio, capable of combining literature, music, science, and collective memory in a week of shared stories.