Meraviglie a Portata di Mano

A festival spread across the villages of the Navelli Plain

Meraviglie a Portata di Mano is a summer cultural festival that takes place from July to September in the evocative Navelli Plain, in the province of L'Aquila, in the heart of inland Abruzzo. The festival unites seven municipalities of the plateau—Navelli (the lead town), Caporciano, San Pio delle Camere, Prata d'Ansidonia, Castelvecchio Calvisio, Collepietro, and San Benedetto in Perillis—in a single program that weaves together music, performing arts, history, archaeology, and local gastronomy.

Caporciano: historic churches and early music

The municipality of Caporciano is a key protagonist of the event. Events are held in locations of great historical and artistic value, such as the Church of Santa Maria de' Centurelli, a 16th-century Renaissance jewel once a stopover for flocks along the transhumance sheep tracks, and the Church of San Benedetto Abate, with its neoclassical interior and precious historic organ. The venues have hosted classical and baroque music concerts, tributes to singer-songwriters, jazz manouche, and open-air cinema screenings.

A rebirth project for the seismic crater

The festival was born as a territorial development project funded by Restart funds, aimed at the socio-economic recovery of the L'Aquila seismic crater. The artistic program is created in collaboration with the Società Aquilana dei Concerti "Bonaventura Barattelli", the Sarra Foundation, and the Carispaq Foundation. The goal is clear: to use culture as a lever for development in small towns, attracting tourists and visitors alongside the local public and restoring vitality to villages otherwise bypassed by major tourist circuits.

What to expect

• Classical, baroque, jazz, and singer-songwriter concerts in historic churches and sites
• Open-air cinema screenings
• Temporary art exhibitions
• Guided tours of archaeological sites, such as the Peltuinum area in Prata d'Ansidonia
• Orienteering races, food and wine tastings, and cultural talks

An invitation to explore

With its itinerant and widespread nature, Meraviglie a Portata di Mano invites you to discover an authentic and surprising Abruzzo, made of quiet squares, cloisters, courtyards, and mountain panoramas. It is an opportunity to experience the Navelli Plain through the lens of culture, blending heritage, tradition, and landscape.