Premio Petrosa
The national literary award of Vibonati and Villammare, on the Gulf of Policastro
Edition 2026 not confirmed to date
This edition has not been confirmed by the organiser to date. We recommend checking before going.
About Premio Petrosa
A literary award overlooking the Gulf of Policastro
The Premio Petrosa is the national literary award promoted by the Municipality of Vibonati, a hillside village in southern Cilento in the province of Salerno. Its natural home is Villammare, the seaside hamlet overlooking the Gulf of Policastro. The name comes from the Torre Petrosa, the square-based coastal tower that has watched over this stretch of the Campanian coast for centuries and has become the symbol of the award: in documented editions, winning authors are presented with an original sculpture reproducing its silhouette.
The Torre Petrosa, a four-century-old symbol
The tower that gives the award its name was built in Villammare in 1595, with Carlo Pugliese serving as its first warden in 1598. It was manned by a warden and auxiliary staff—guards, soldiers, and rowers—tasked with defending the coast against sea raids. Once the Turkish threat subsided, the structure served as a sanitary cordon during the 1656 plague epidemic; in the following century, it became a hiding place for weapons and Cilento conspirators involved in the 1828 uprisings, and during World War II, it served as a military outpost. Between 1950 and 1960, it was purchased by a private owner. The award draws on this layered memory, linking contemporary literature to the historical identity of the Gulf.
How it works: the readers have their say
The Premio Petrosa—originally and long known as the «Torre Petrosa» National Literary Award—is designed as a fiction prize deeply rooted in the community. As documented in past editions, the mechanism involves:
- a shortlist of works, usually three finalists;
- the purchase by the Municipality of fifty copies of each selected book, distributed free of charge to readers in the Gulf of Policastro towns and to vacationing tourists;
- a popular jury composed of local readers, who vote to proclaim the winner;
- a cash prize for the winning work and the presentation of the Torre Petrosa sculpture, also awarded to the second and third-place finishers.
The result is a participatory event: not a jury of industry insiders, but dozens of ordinary readers who actually read the competing books during the summer and then gather in the square for the announcement.
A hall of fame between fiction and journalism
The event has been running for nearly twenty years: in 2013, the seventh edition took place, won by the novel I giorni del male by Rocco Papa with a popular jury of fifty-five readers, while 2016 marked the tenth anniversary. Over the years, the award has expanded its scope from fiction to journalism and current affairs: in 2022, the recognition went to television journalist Serena Bortone, who chose to replace her acceptance speech in Villammare with a public dialogue with Franco Maldonato on information, women's rights, the development of Southern Italy, depopulation, and infrastructure. In 2024, the award was presented to Mariella Marchetti during an evening hosted at Largo Giuseppe Cattel in Villammare.
The 2026 edition
The 2026 summer program of the Municipality of Vibonati, presented in early July by Mayor Manuel Borrelli and the Councilor for Culture and Tourism Luigi Brusco, announces the Premio Petrosa 2026 for Monica Oriente for the book Quattro volte me, a memoir dedicated to her rebirths after illness, which was already presented at the Museo Logos in Vibonati. This confirms an editorial direction that rewards personal and civic stories capable of speaking to a wide audience.
Vibonati and Villammare in summer
The award does not exist in isolation: it is one of the cultural highlights of the rich summer program that enlivens Vibonati, with its historic center and the Museo Logos, and Villammare, with its promenade, Piazza Portosalvo, and Piazza Don G. Puca. During the same period, there are concerts, outdoor cinema screenings, the «Il Protagonista» award, the «Gusto Italia in Tour» gastronomic festival, «Rioni in Festa» in the village, and, to close the season, the Villammare Festival – Film & Friends. For those spending their holidays in this corner of Campania, the Premio Petrosa evening is an opportunity to discover the more cultured and convivial side of Cilento, between a book just read and the sea just a few meters away.
Premio Petrosa — edition 2026
Premio Petrosa 2026: the recognition for Monica Oriente
The Premio Petrosa 2026 was announced along with the rest of the summer program for Vibonati and Villammare, presented in early July by Mayor Manuel Borrelli and the Councilor for Culture and Tourism Luigi Brusco. The prize goes to Monica Oriente for Quattro volte me, the book in which the author recounts her own rebirths after four cancer diagnoses: not a simple diary of illness, but a story of inner strength, of fear overcome, and of hope, supported by family, friends, and doctors. The volume had already been presented at the Museo Logos in Vibonati.
The choice confirms the vocation of the award, which in recent years has combined pure fiction with civic testimonies and books capable of opening a debate with the public: historically, the award evening is not limited to the ceremony but becomes a real meeting with the author, in the square and with free admission.
A rich summer in Vibonati
The Premio Petrosa 2026 is one of the pieces of a dense cultural season that, in southern Cilento, weaves music, cinema, literature, and gastronomy throughout August, between the historic center of Vibonati and the promenade of Villammare, on the Gulf of Policastro, in the province of Salerno.
Programme Premio Petrosa 2026
Detailed program not yet published. The Municipality of Vibonati has announced the Premio Petrosa 2026 for Monica Oriente for Quattro volte me as part of the summer program presented in early July, but has not yet released the exact date, time, and venue for the award ceremony, which is usually held in August in Villammare.
Other events already announced for the 2026 summer in Vibonati and Villammare include:
- the «Il Protagonista» award, a historic local recognition, awarded this year to singer-songwriter Irene Grandi and Dr. Tommaso Pellegrino, appreciated for his commitment to the healthcare sector;
- the concert by Irene Grandi and the live performance by maestro Enzo Avitabile with Mimmo Cavallaro;
- the dance show «Febbre Italiana» and evenings dedicated to local artists;
- «Gusto Italia in Tour», a festival of street food and Italian gastronomic excellence, from August 6 to 16 on the Villammare promenade;
- «Rioni in Festa» in the historic center of Vibonati, dedicated to participation and local traditions;
- the presentation of the latest book by Antonio Monda, Una mattina gloriosa;
- outdoor cinema arenas in Vibonati and Villammare and family shows;
- to close the season, the Villammare Festival – Film & Friends, dedicated to short films, with actors and directors from the national and international scene.
Highlights Premio Petrosa 2026
- Premio Petrosa 2026 to Monica Oriente for Quattro volte me.
- Natural home of the award: Villammare, a seaside hamlet of Vibonati on the Gulf of Policastro.
- Participatory formula with a popular jury of local readers and the Torre Petrosa sculpture presented to the winners.
- Evening included in the municipal summer program, alongside the «Il Protagonista» award to Irene Grandi and Tommaso Pellegrino.
- Exact date and time still to be communicated by the Municipality of Vibonati.
Prices Premio Petrosa 2026
Practical information — Premio Petrosa
How to get there
By car: from the A2 del Mediterraneo motorway, take the Padula-Buonabitacolo exit and continue towards the Gulf of Policastro; along the coast, you can reach Villammare via the SS18 Tirrena Inferiore state road. Vibonati is located slightly higher up, on the hills behind.
By train: the nearest station is Sapri, on the Naples–Reggio Calabria Tyrrhenian line, which is also served by long-distance connections; from there, it is a short trip to Villammare.
By plane: the reference airports are Salerno Costa d'Amalfi and Naples Capodichino, both connected to the Cilento coast.
Admission and times
The Premio Petrosa evenings take place outdoors in the squares of Villammare in the evening: the sources consulted do not indicate tickets or pre-sales. The exact date of the current edition is communicated by the Municipality of Vibonati along with the summer program.
Tips
- Those wishing to participate as jurors should inquire in advance at the Municipality: copies of the finalist books are distributed to readers in the weeks leading up to the event.
- In August, accommodation in the Gulf of Policastro is in high demand: it is advisable to book your stay in Villammare, Sapri, or Vibonati well in advance.
- Parking in the promenade area is limited on event nights: it is better to arrive early or get around on foot.
Information
Municipality of Vibonati — phone +39 0973 301611, email [email protected], website www.comune.vibonati.sa.it
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Where does it take place — Premio Petrosa
Villammare (piazza Portosalvo e piazze del lungomare)