Il Veliero Parlante
The major exhibition of Salento schools at the Castello di Copertino
About Veliero Parlante
Il Veliero Parlante in Copertino
In the heart of Salento, the Castello Angioino of Copertino (Province of Lecce, Puglia) transforms every spring into the port of call for the Veliero Parlante, one of the most original school network initiatives in Southern Italy. This is no ordinary festival: it is a grand collective exhibition featuring dozens of local schools, from kindergartens to high schools, all united by a common theme explored through student-led projects, artworks, and performances.
For a week, the halls, walkways, and parade ground of the 16th-century fortress—with its moat, corner bastions, and Angevin tower—become an open-air laboratory where education steps out of the classroom and comes to life before the public.
A school network born in Salento
The project is rooted in the Istituto Comprensivo "Magistrato Giovanni Falcone" of Copertino and has been active in the Salento area since the late 2000s, following an idea by headteacher Ornella Castellano. Over the years, the network has grown to involve dozens of schools of all levels, united by the goal of promoting methodological innovation, workshop-based learning, and competency-based pathways. The Veliero is the moment when all this hard work becomes visible: a week of exhibitions, meetings, performances, and activities open to families and the city.
A theme, a journey every year
Each edition revolves around a keyword that guides the projects of all schools in the network: from reflections on sustainability and inclusion to major civic issues. Around this theme, collective art installations, bilingual narratives, historical pageants, choirs, scientific workshops, and guidance sessions for older students come to life.
A community event
Il Veliero Parlante is designed as a free public event that enlivens Copertino, involving teachers, students, parents, volunteer associations, and cultural entities from across Salento. It is a unique opportunity to visit the Castello Angioino in a new light and discover the work of local schools up close.
Veliero Parlante — edition 2026
Veliero Parlante 2026 — "Revolutions. Future and Peace"
The seventeenth edition, hosted at the Castello Angioino of Copertino from May 10 to 16, 2026, brought together 48 Salento schools around the theme "Revolutions. Future and Peace": a reflection on revolution understood as conscious transformation, civic responsibility, and a daily commitment to a fair, inclusive, and sustainable future. The week featured a mix of exhibitions, collective installations, scientific workshops, musical performances, and meetings with experts.
Programme Veliero Parlante 2026
Sunday, May 10
- 6:30 PM — Official opening with musical performances and institutional greetings; inauguration of the exhibition in the Castle halls.
Monday, May 11
- Presentation of the STEM projects "Archimedes' Room".
- Meeting "The Lifeboat" with the Presidi del Libro and the Sylva Foundation.
Tuesday, May 12
- Choir performance "Col Remo EcoBand".
- Afternoon dedicated to inclusion with scholars, athletes, and teachers.
Wednesday, May 13
- Grand historical pageant "The Papyrus of Clio".
- Narrated tour "Story of a Fortress" with historical re-enactors.
Thursday, May 14
- Round table on the 80th anniversary of the Constitution.
- Science Festival with nationally renowned scientists.
Friday, May 15
- "Lookouts on the Future": post-diploma guidance and ITS Academy.
- Meeting "Re-evaluating" on integrated RAV and preschool education.
Saturday, May 16
- "Parents' Porthole": educational support desk for families.
- Workshop of the EQUAL project on female STEM skills.
Installations and widespread paths
- The Wave of Peace — large collective installation made of rainbow mosaics by the schools.
- The Feathers of Gentle Revolution — symbols of lightness and transformation.
- Green Stories — bilingual narratives dedicated to the trees of Salento.
- The Peace Ballots — an exercise in active citizenship.
- STEM workshops and inclusion paths set up in the Castle halls.
Highlights Veliero Parlante 2026
Prices Veliero Parlante 2026
Practical information — Veliero Parlante
Where
Castello Angioino of Copertino, in the historic center of the town of Copertino (Province of Lecce, Puglia).
When
One week in May.
Admission
Free public event. Activities are primarily aimed at schools within the network, but exhibitions and installations set up in the Castle halls are open to the public.
How to get there
Copertino can be reached by car via the SS101 Lecce–Gallipoli road; it is served by the Ferrovie del Sud Est railway line (Lecce–Gallipoli). The Castle is located in the town center.
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Where does it take place — Veliero Parlante
Castello Angioino di Copertino
Piazza Castello, 73043 Copertino