Gran Sasso Storytelling Villages Festival

The Gran Sasso Storytelling Villages Festival in Capestrano

The Gran Sasso Storytelling Villages Festival is a widespread event spanning fifteen villages in the inland areas of Abruzzo, united within the Integrated Tourist Destination and the "Gran Sasso Storytelling Villages" Association. In the municipality of Capestrano, in the province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo), the event finds one of its central hubs, hosted in historic spaces such as the Piccolomini Castle and the Convent of San Francesco.

The festival is more than just a series of shows: it is a cultural and civic project that weaves together meetings, narratives, itineraries, performances, and in-depth discussions dedicated to the stories, traditions, and excellence of these territories. The common thread is the portrayal of these villages as living places, capable of welcoming visitors and looking toward the future despite the depopulation of inland areas.

Capestrano, home to the Forum and Bootcamp

Capestrano hosts two key events of the festival. The first is the "Living Villages: changing communities, welcoming communities" Forum, which brings together regional representatives, local administrators, members of parliament, and university professors to discuss sustainable development and the regeneration of small towns. The second is the "Small Villages Workshop" Bootcamp, an intensive training program aimed at young talents, professionals, and university students, created in collaboration with Abruzzo's universities.

The day in Capestrano is enriched by a convivial banquet featuring local traditional dishes, an opportunity to combine cultural debate with the pleasure of local hospitality.

A widespread event across fifteen villages

The festival involves the municipalities of Barisciano, Calascio, Capestrano, Caporciano, Carapelle Calvisio, Castel del Monte, Castelvecchio Calvisio, Collepietro, Navelli, Ofena, Prata d'Ansidonia, San Benedetto in Perillis, San Pio delle Camere, Santo Stefano di Sessanio, and Villa Santa Lucia degli Abruzzi. Between one village and another, narrative trekking routes, readings, testimonies from local shepherds and storytellers, and itineraries to discover the Gran Sasso landscape unfold.

Organization

The event is promoted by the Il Bosso cooperative together with the Gran Sasso Storytelling Villages Association and the GAL Gran Sasso Velino, with the involvement of municipal administrations and Abruzzo's universities. Born in 2024, the festival has grown rapidly, becoming a reference point for the debate on the future of Abruzzo's inland areas.