Intrecci: Narrative and Philosophical Itineraries in the Villages of Irpinia

A festival of thought in the heart of Irpinia

Intrecci: Narrative and Philosophical Itineraries in the Villages of Irpinia is a cultural festival held from May to September across the small towns of the province of Avellino, in Campania. This is not a festival of large crowds or grand stages: its scale is that of a town hall, a castle courtyard, or a cellar carved into the tuff rock. It consists of six days of thematic meetings built around the questions that philosophy continues to pose to the present day, featuring guests from the national debate who agree to speak to an intimate audience.

The formula is intentionally hybrid: territorial storytelling and philosophical reflection go hand in hand, and each meeting is almost always accompanied by a moment dedicated to local food and wine, a visit to a village, or the discovery of a winery. It is a way of saying that thought cannot be separated from the places that host it.

Sant'Angelo all'Esca and the legacy of Paolo Raffaele Troiano

The Municipality of Sant'Angelo all'Esca, a tiny village in the province of Avellino overlooking the Calore Valley, is the origin of the project. This is the birthplace of Paolo Raffaele Troiano, a philosopher who taught at the University of Turin between the 19th and 20th centuries, rediscovered and studied by the philosopher Antimo Negri. The festival was conceived around his figure: a thinker who left a town of a few hundred inhabitants to enter the history of Italian philosophy, and who today gives meaning to a festival that aims to bring ideas back to where they were born.

The town has named a square after the philosopher, and for years Sant'Angelo all'Esca has hosted some of the most anticipated stages of the festival: in a past edition, it was here that Massimo Cacciari held his lectio magistralis dedicated to metaphysics, introduced by journalist Generoso Picone.

A traveling path through the villages

Intrecci is by vocation a traveling event: over the years, it has touched Sant'Angelo all'Esca, Luogosano, Taurasi, and in the past, Avella and Villamaina. The mayors of the involved municipalities are part of the organizing committee, a sign of shared planning that keeps small but cohesive administrations together.

• Sant'Angelo all'Esca — the village of the philosopher Troiano, the symbolic heart of the festival
• Luogosano — the Council Chamber traditionally hosts the opening lectures
• Taurasi — the Marchional Castle with the Carlo Gesualdo hall and the historic cellars of the Taurasi DOCG

Philosophy, literature, and current events

The program alternates between long-standing philosophers, writers, and journalists. Recent editions have featured names such as Massimo Cacciari, Massimo Donà, Umberto Curi, Sergio Givone, political scientist Marco Tarchi, and journalist Antonello Caporale. Themes range from metaphysics to the roots of belonging, from the relationship between the individual and their land to the issues that animate contemporary public debate.

Wine as a key to interpretation

We are in the heart of the Taurasi DOCG triangle, and the festival makes it a cultural resource even before a gastronomic one. It is no coincidence that the 2026 edition opened with a reflection on wine "between philosophy, literature, art, and politics," followed the next day by a visit to the Antonio Caggiano winery and the Marchional Castle of Taurasi. Tastings and thematic dinners regularly accompany the meetings: the glass is not an accessory, but part of the reasoning.

Organizers

The festival is promoted by the Elis APS Association and directed by Raffaella Luise, with scientific advice from Daniela Calabrò (University of Salerno) and Pietro Luise. The operational coordination includes Pierluigi D'Ambrosio, Pietro Di Fronzo, Michele Ferrante, and Michele Venezia, together with the mayors of the host municipalities.

Why it's worth the trip

Those who come to Intrecci will not find a fair, but a rare opportunity: to listen to a nationally renowned philosopher in a village council chamber, and then walk at sunset among vineyards and stone houses. It is a formula that restores to the inland areas of Campania a role that is rarely recognized—that of a place where one thinks, and not just where one produces. For the visitor, it is also the best pretext to discover the most authentic Irpinia, that of villages under a thousand inhabitants where the quality of life is measured in silence and hospitality.