Gran Sasso Storytelling Villages Festival

A festival spread across the villages of the Gran Sasso

The Gran Sasso Storytelling Villages Festival is a cultural event that unfolds across the inland villages of the province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo. Promoted by the "Gran Sasso Storytelling Villages" Integrated Tourism Destination and organized by the IL BOSSO cooperative, it brings together fifteen municipalities united by a single ambition: to narrate and regenerate small mountain towns through culture, education, and slow tourism.

The network includes 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. The Municipality of Calascio, famous for the fortress that dominates the plateau, is one of the festival's main venues.

Stories, communities, and landscapes that become narratives

The festival offers meetings, performances, itineraries, in-depth discussions, and initiatives dedicated to the stories, traditions, and excellence of these territories. At its core is the theme of regenerating inland areas: countering depopulation and enhancing the historical and identity-based heritage of these villages through a tourism model that revitalizes communities.

One of the most evocative moments is the inspirational trek that connects Castelvecchio Calvisio to Calascio, accompanied by readings from the poet and shepherd Valentino Mosesso and stories from Mimì, a historic shepherd of the Gran Sasso. The walk concludes with a convivial feast dedicated to local products, including bread, lentils from Santo Stefano di Sessanio, saffron from Navelli, and the genuine flavors of the Abruzzo mountains.

Education and the future: The Small Villages Workshop

The heart of the festival is the "Small Villages Future Workshop" Boot Camp, an intensive training program aimed at young talent, professionals, and university students, created in collaboration with the four Abruzzo universities. Participants develop concrete ideas and projects for the regeneration of inland areas, which are then presented during the festival's public days.

Alongside this is the "Living Villages" Forum, which brings together administrators, academics, experts, and local operators to discuss new territorial development strategies. The festival is also linked to the Eco-Museum project, a widespread museum funded by the CIVES program.

Why attend

• Discover fifteen authentic Gran Sasso villages in a single cultural itinerary.
• Experience narrative treks, performances, and feasts featuring local products from the Alto Aquilano region.
• Attend forums and meetings on the future of Italy's inland areas.
• Breathe in the atmosphere of Calascio and its famous fortress, one of the most photographed places in Abruzzo.

The Gran Sasso Storytelling Villages Festival is much more than an event: it is an invitation to slow down, listen, and rediscover the authentic soul of the Abruzzo Apennines.