Festival Le Parole della Montagna – Tappa di Arquata del Tronto

A festival that listens to the mountain

Le Parole della Montagna is a widespread cultural festival that has enlivened the small villages of the Marche Apennines every July since 2011, with its heart in the medieval village of Smerillo (FM), overlooking the Monti Sibillini. Each edition revolves around a single keyword, chosen to question the present: writers, philosophers, poets, mountaineers, and musicians take turns in meetings, readings, excursions, concerts, and moments of shared silence, always in direct contact with the landscape. It is not a review closed in an auditorium, but an experience that is walked: the woods, the paths, and the village squares themselves become part of the program.

The XVII edition 2026: the word is "Rescue"

The 2026 edition is dedicated to the word "Rescue", defined by the organizers as "a cry and, at the same time, a response". The theme runs through the entire program, supported by the reference to the Canticle of the Creatures by Saint Francis, and takes on an even deeper meaning in the territories marked by the earthquake in central Italy. The festival is divided into several stages: the preview in Monte San Martino (MC) on July 4th, the special event in Arquata del Tronto (AP) on July 12th, and the core of the event in Smerillo from July 17th to 19th.

The Arquata del Tronto stage

Arquata del Tronto, in the province of Ascoli Piceno, is the only municipality in Italy located between two National Parks, that of Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga and that of the Monti Sibillini. It was one of the villages most affected by the 2016 earthquake, and the stage on July 12th, 2026, falls on the tenth anniversary of that wound. For the occasion, the festival offers a journey into the heart of the forest where, according to the organizers, "an entire surprise orchestra will blend music with the sounds of nature": a cultural gesture that is also intended as an act of care towards a community that resists and rebuilds. It is the clearest synthesis of the festival's philosophy, which makes the wounded mountain a place of words, music, and redemption.

Who organizes it

The festival is conceived and directed by Simonetta Paradisi and stems from the desire to create a cultural network among the small municipalities of the Marche hinterland, valuing them as living strongholds of the internal areas. The event is supported by local entities such as the University of Camerino, the Carisap Foundation, the Marche Cultura Foundation, and the CAI section of Amandola, and involves dozens of guests from the Italian literary, philosophical, and musical scene each year.

Why it's worth the trip

• A rare format that combines big names in culture with total immersion in the Apennine nature.
• An opportunity to discover authentic villages like Arquata del Tronto, Smerillo, and Monte San Martino, far from mass tourist circuits.
• Events often with free admission, designed to bring life and beauty back to the earthquake-stricken areas.