Pollica Incontra – Dialogues for Inhabiting the Future
The Cilento square that returns to being a space for public discourse
About Pollica Incontra
A square that returns to being a space for dialogue
Pollica Incontra – Dialogues for Inhabiting the Future was born from a simple and ancient idea: to restore the square to its original function, as a place where a community pauses, listens, and discusses. Throughout the summer, the square of Pollica, a municipality in the province of Salerno overlooking the Cilento sea, hosts writers, journalists, scientists, doctors, artists, and key figures in Italian public debate. This is not a simple series of book presentations: each evening is structured as an open dialogue, where the audience is not a spectator but an active part of the conversation.
The themes: artificial intelligence, health, beauty, and the right to stay
The common thread is stated in the subtitle: inhabiting the future. The evenings explore the impact of artificial intelligence and technological innovation on democracy and our ability to imagine, health and prevention viewed through the lens of the Mediterranean Diet, beauty as a social force rather than mere ornament, climate migration, and the right to remain in inland villages. These are issues that do not sound abstract in Pollica: here, the depopulation of hillside towns, the protection of the sea, and the transmission of a food heritage recognized by UNESCO are matters of daily administration.
Who is behind the festival
- Conception and curation: Sara Roversi, founder of the Future Food Institute and the Paideia Campus in Pollica.
- Promotion: the Paideia Campus, a permanent laboratory active in Pollica since 2020, working on ecological regeneration, education, and Mediterranean innovation.
- Institutional collaboration: the Municipality of Pollica, led by Mayor Stefano Pisani, which has been investing in culture as infrastructure for regional development for years.
The festival is part of a broader strategy with which Pollica attempts to transition, as its promoters like to say, from a land known for longevity and the Mediterranean Diet to so-called «Future Lands», bridging memory and innovation.
Pollica, the Cilento, and the Mediterranean Diet
Pollica is no ordinary town in Campania. Its territory includes the hillside villages of Pollica, Celso, Galdo, and Cannicchio, and the seaside towns of Acciaroli and Pioppi: it was in Pioppi, in the 1960s, that the American physiologist Ancel Keys conducted the studies that led to the definition of the Mediterranean Diet, now an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. From this legacy stems the town's vocation for hosting research, summer schools, and international meetings: Pollica Incontra is its most open and popular version, designed for residents and those spending their summer in the Cilento.
Atmosphere and audience
The events take place outdoors in the evening, once the heat of the day has subsided. The audience is diverse: local families, vacationers, students from the Paideia Campus programs, and administrators from neighboring towns. The tone is that of civil debate rather than an academic conference; attendees can sit, listen, participate, and then continue the conversation through the alleys of the historic center, dominated by the Castello dei Principi Capano.
Why it is worth attending
- It is one of the few festivals in the inland Cilento that focuses on ideas rather than just summer entertainment.
- Admission is free and no reservation is required.
- The guests are recognizable names in Italian journalism, poetry, and research.
- Each evening can be combined with a day at the beach in Acciaroli or a visit to the Living Museum of the Mediterranean Diet in Pioppi.
- It is a direct way to understand how a small municipality in the province of Salerno is trying to build its own future.
Pollica Incontra — edition 2026
Five evenings to inhabit the future
The 2026 edition of Pollica Incontra – Dialogues for Inhabiting the Future spans nearly a month, from July 20 to August 16, 2026, with five evening events in the square of Pollica, in the province of Salerno. The opening is entrusted to Riccardo Luna, who presents «Something went wrong. How social networks and artificial intelligence stole our future», in dialogue with Sara Roversi and Mayor Stefano Pisani: a reflection on technology, democracy, and our collective capacity to imagine.
The calendar continues with Franco Arminio and «The Grace of Fragility», an evening dedicated to villages, the right to stay, and the strength of seemingly marginal communities; the Municipality of Pollica has scheduled the meeting with the poet in Piazza la Cortiglia at 9:30 PM, featuring the presentation of «Songs of Gratitude». In August, the festival addresses health with «His Majesty the Heart», the right to remain in inland areas, and finally, beauty as a force for social transformation.
All meetings are free to attend and held outdoors. Detailed schedules for individual evenings are communicated periodically through the official channels of the Municipality of Pollica and the Paideia Campus.
Programme Pollica Incontra 2026
Monday, July 20, 2026 – Pollica Square
- «Something went wrong» – meeting with journalist Riccardo Luna, in dialogue with Sara Roversi and Mayor Stefano Pisani. Presentation of the book «Something went wrong. How social networks and artificial intelligence stole our future»: technology, democracy, and environment.
Late July 2026 – Piazza la Cortiglia, 9:30 PM
- «The Grace of Fragility» – meeting with poet and landscape expert Franco Arminio, on small villages, the right to stay, and community strength. The Municipality of Pollica indicates the evening with Arminio in Piazza la Cortiglia at 9:30 PM, with the presentation of «Songs of Gratitude» (some sources report the date as July 31: it is advisable to check the Municipality's channels).
August 1, 2026 – Pollica Square
- «His Majesty the Heart» – with Professor Massimo Massetti and Alfonso Dell'Erario, in dialogue with Sara Roversi. The heart as a meeting point between medicine, emotions, prevention, and quality of life, with reference to the Mediterranean Diet.
August 14, 2026 – Pollica Square
- «The Right to Stay» – with Angelica De Vito and Sara Roversi. Climate migration, inland areas, and what it means today to be able to choose to stay in one's own land.
August 16, 2026 – Pollica Square
- «Speaking of Beauty» – with Marco Ferrari and Sara Roversi. A journey through philosophy, art, and culture to understand if beauty can still be a force for social transformation.
Program distributed by the organizers and local Cilento press. Schedules for evenings other than the one with Franco Arminio were not announced at the time of publication.
Highlights Pollica Incontra 2026
- The opening on July 20 with Riccardo Luna on artificial intelligence, social networks, and democracy.
- Franco Arminio in Piazza la Cortiglia with «The Grace of Fragility» and «Songs of Gratitude»: one of the most anticipated evenings of the festival.
- «His Majesty the Heart» on August 1, linking cardiovascular prevention and the Mediterranean Diet in the town of Ancel Keys.
- The Ferragosto diptych: the right to remain in inland areas (August 14) and beauty as a social force (August 16).
- The format: open dialogue in the square, outdoors, with the audience invited to participate.
Prices Pollica Incontra 2026
Practical information — Pollica Incontra
Where it takes place
The meetings are held in the square of Pollica, specifically in Piazza la Cortiglia, in the historic center of the municipal seat (84068 Pollica, province of Salerno).
How to get there
- By car: Take the Battipaglia exit on the A2 del Mediterraneo motorway, then the SS18 and SS447 towards Agropoli–Acciaroli; from Acciaroli, climb to Pollica via a few kilometers of scenic road.
- By train: Vallo della Lucania–Castelnuovo or Agropoli–Castellabate station on the Tyrrhenian line, then bus or taxi.
- In summer, a sea connection is available to the port of Acciaroli from Salerno and the Amalfi Coast.
Hours and admission
The events are held in the evening, usually around 9:30 PM. Admission is free, subject to seating availability; it is advisable to arrive a little early on evenings with well-known guests.
Practical tips
- The historic center is pedestrian-only: it is best to leave your car in the parking lots uphill and walk down.
- Bring a light sweater: in the evening, on the hill, the temperature drops significantly compared to the coast.
- For accommodation, the widest range of options is in the seaside towns of Acciaroli and Pioppi; in the village of Pollica, you can find small guesthouses and holiday homes.
Information
Municipality of Pollica – www.comune.pollica.sa.it, e-mail [email protected]. The festival is promoted in collaboration with the Paideia Campus of the Future Food Institute.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Noticed an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every proposal is verified by our team before publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Where does it take place — Pollica Incontra
Piazza la Cortiglia
Piazza la Cortiglia, 84068 Pollica