Festival of the Villages of Laga - Faete di Arquata del Tronto Stage

A festival that walks through the wounded villages of Laga

The Festival of the Villages of Laga is a travelling cultural event that crosses the small mountain centres straddling Marche and Abruzzo, in the heart of the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. Promoted by the Comunità dei Monti della Laga (Community of the Monti della Laga) together with FederTrek Escursionismo e Ambiente Aps and the association Borghi e Sentieri della Laga OdV, the festival has no fixed stage: it is a journey that takes participants into the hamlets, along ancient paths, to reconnect the thread between places and those who inhabited them.

One of the most intense stages takes place in Faete, a hamlet of the Municipality of Arquata del Tronto, in the Province of Ascoli Piceno, in the Marche Region. Here the festival takes on a particular value, as Arquata del Tronto was one of the municipalities most affected by the 2016 earthquake, and the 2026 edition falls on the tenth anniversary of the earthquake.

'Restanza' and abandonment: the theme of the edition

The common thread of the stage is 'restanza', the choice of those who have remained to live and care for these places, in contrast to the abandonment of the villages scattered on the slopes of Laga. The afternoon in Faete is dedicated to 'examples of restanza': narrating voices, people, stories, memories, and tales that give meaning to villages threatened by permanent silence.

The initiative rejects invasive tourism and focuses on an authentic encounter with the territory: listening to those who have stayed, walking together, recognising the value of a community that does not want to fade away. The following day, the event continues beyond the border, on the Abruzzo side, with a walking tour through the 'places of abandonment' to launch a symbolic cultural reconquest of the Laga villages.

The Festa dei Giovanotti and the Madonna della Neve

The Faete stage intertwines with the Festa dei Giovanotti (Festival of the Young Men), the ancient popular festival organised by the local community in honour of the Madonna della Neve (Our Lady of the Snow). It is a deeply felt event, which brings together the inhabitants of the village and those who, although emigrated, return for the occasion: a moment of devotion and social gathering that blends religious tradition, village identity, and the desire to be together.

The encounter between the festival and the community celebration makes this day a concrete example of how culture can become care for the territory: the peasant and religious memory of Faete dialogues with the contemporary narrative of 'restanza'.

Why participate

• To experience an authentic day in one of the most evocative villages of the Monti della Laga.
• To listen to the stories of those who have stayed, on a journey of tales and memories.
• To participate in the Festa dei Giovanotti in honour of the Madonna della Neve.
• To support, with your presence, the communities of the internal areas on the tenth anniversary of the 2016 earthquake.

The Faete stage is designed for those who love slow tourism, mountains, history, and popular traditions, and for those who want to discover the truest and most resilient face of the Marche Apennines.