Gran Sasso Summer Festival
Cinema, hiking, and nature among the villages of the Gran Sasso
About Gran Sasso Summer
Cinema wandering through the mountains
The Gran Sasso Summer Festival is the summer extension of the L'Aquila Film Festival, which has been active in the L'Aquila area since 2007. Created to bring auteur cinema out of traditional theaters, the festival transforms the villages and plateaus of the Gran Sasso massif into a vast open-air screen, where evening screenings are preceded by hikes, meetings, and tastings. The philosophy is one of a slow, sustainable, and accessible experience: slowing down, listening to the land and its inhabitants, and watching films under the stars.
Castel del Monte, a symbol of transhumance
Among the main venues of the festival, Castel del Monte stands out—a municipality in the Province of L'Aquila and one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy. Perched at an altitude of 1,346 meters on the slopes of the Gran Sasso, the village is famous for its network of "wall-houses" and for being one of the symbolic sites of transhumance, the ancient pastoral practice of seasonal livestock migration recognized as UNESCO intangible heritage. Strolling through its medieval alleys before an open-air screening is an integral part of the festival experience.
Cinema, nature, and community
The program alternates between feature films and documentaries with two special formats that define the festival's identity: Cartoons on the Mountain, dedicated to auteur animation for children and young people on environmental and mountain themes, and At the Cinema with the CAI, a selection exploring mountaineering and life at high altitude in collaboration with the Italian Alpine Club. Surrounding the screenings are guided hikes, botanical and tasting walks, meetings with authors, and book presentations.
A festival spread across the Abruzzo region
In addition to Castel del Monte, the event reaches L'Aquila and various locations in the Apennine area such as Campo Imperatore, Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Fonte Cerreto, and San Nicandro, with the MAXXI museum and Palazzo Ardinghelli among the urban venues. This itinerant dimension makes the Gran Sasso Summer Festival much more than just a film festival: it is an invitation to discover inland Abruzzo, its communities, and its landscapes through the lens of the big screen.
- Where: Castel del Monte and other Gran Sasso villages (Province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo)
- When: Summer (June-July)
- Admission: Free with an ethical ticket, booking recommended
- Organizer: L'Aquila Film Festival
Gran Sasso Summer — edition 2026
The 2026 Gran Sasso Summer Festival runs from June 13 to July 26, spread between the MAXXI museum and Palazzo Ardinghelli in L'Aquila and various villages in the Gran Sasso area, including Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Madonna Fore, Fonte Cerreto, San Nicandro, and Castel del Monte. The format weaving together auteur cinema, excursions, and meetings is confirmed, with the "Cartoons on the Mountain" and "At the Cinema with the CAI" sections. The day dedicated to Castel del Monte, on July 18, opens with the "Three Fountains Loop" excursion and continues with a tasting walk in the village and evening screenings. Events are free with an ethical ticket and booking via Eventbrite.
Programme Gran Sasso Summer 2026
July 18, 2026 — Castel del Monte
- 08:30 — "Three Fountains Loop" excursion (approx. 7 km, easy difficulty)
- 17:00 — Tasting walk with a tour of the village
- 19:00 — Screening of Slegati by Jacopo Maria Bicocchi and Mattia Fabris
- 21:00 — Screening of Separazioni by Stefano Chiantini (97 min, 2026)
Other festival days (2026)
- July 11 — Santo Stefano di Sessanio: tasting walk (17:00), storytelling "The Invisible Mountains" by Marco Albino Ferrari (19:00), DJ Ahmet by Georgi M. Unkovski (21:30)
- July 12 — Madonna Fore: botanical walk with Sara Mannori (17:00), show "Trees, Trees, Trees" (19:00), The Lorax by Chris Renaud (21:00)
- July 14 — CAI Headquarters: Alcarràs by Carla Simón (20:45)
- July 16 — Fonte Cerreto: e-bike excursion and tasting (09:00); panel "Writing and filming the mountain" and screenings at the CAI headquarters (20:45)
- July 19 — San Nicandro: Pasturismo by Boschilla, documentary, free admission (21:30)
- July 26 — MAXXI L'Aquila: The Wild Robot by Chris Sanders (21:00)
Highlights Gran Sasso Summer 2026
The Castel del Monte day on July 18 with the "Three Fountains Loop" excursion, the tasting walk in the village, and the evening screenings of Slegati and Separazioni. Also noteworthy is the widespread opening in Santo Stefano di Sessanio and the closing at MAXXI L'Aquila with The Wild Robot.
Prices Gran Sasso Summer 2026
Practical information — Gran Sasso Summer
How to get there
Castel del Monte can be reached by car from the L'Aquila Est motorway exit (A24), heading up towards the Campo Imperatore plateau; the village is about 40 km from the regional capital. By train, the reference station is L'Aquila, from where you can continue by car or local connections.
Admission and bookings
Festival events are free to attend with an "ethical ticket" formula. For screenings, excursions, and tasting walks, booking is recommended, generally via the Eventbrite platform indicated on the official website.
Tips
The village is located at an altitude of 1,346 meters: even in summer, evenings can be cool, so layered clothing is recommended. For excursions, hiking boots and water are essential.
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Where does it take place — Gran Sasso Summer
Borgo di Castel del Monte