Racconti d'Estate
Encounters with cultural and entertainment figures in the Giardini di Piazza Municipio, Pellezzano
About Racconti d'Estate
A festival of words in the Irno Valley
For six editions, Racconti d'Estate has been the cultural highlight of the summer in Pellezzano, a small town in the Irno Valley in the province of Salerno, Campania. The festival was born from a simple yet effective idea: to bring well-known faces from Italian cinema, television, music, and journalism to a town of just a few thousand inhabitants, and have them speak not from a distant stage, but just a few meters from the audience, sitting among the people in the Giardini di Piazza Municipio.
The format: not a show, but a story
Each evening is structured as a dialogue. A journalist or host moderates the meeting, guiding the guest through their professional biography: their beginnings, decisive encounters, behind-the-scenes stories from sets and theaters, and the choices they made—or turned down. The audience doesn't just watch; they participate, ask questions, and request anecdotes. It is a formula that works because it brings well-known figures down to earth and gives the local public direct access to worlds usually seen only on a screen.
The meetings are held outdoors during the cool hours of the late afternoon or early evening, when the Irno basin begins to breathe after the heat of the day. The setting is the garden in front of the town hall, an intimate space that rarely exceeds a few hundred seats: the proximity between the guest and the audience is an integral part of the experience.
The sixth edition, 2026
The 2026 edition opened on May 19th with journalist and TV host Greta Mauro and closed on July 11th with actor Fortunato Cerlino, one of the most recognizable faces in Italian cinema and television series. In between, the festival featured journalist Monica Caradonna, actress and host Flora Canto, singer and actor Raiz—the historic voice of Almamegretta—and Irene Maiorino, known to international audiences for her role as the adult Lila in the series My Brilliant Friend.
A municipal project, not an event imposed from above
The festival is promoted by the municipal administration led by Mayor Francesco Morra and artistically directed by Roberto Vargiu, head of dLiveMedia Comunicazione ed Eventi. Support comes from local entities—including Banca Monte Pruno, Cartesar, Centro Lars, and Galdieri Auto—and in previous editions from the Province of Salerno and Scabec, the regional company for cultural heritage. It is worth noting that Racconti d'Estate is not an imported program, but a cultural investment the town makes in itself, based on the belief, frequently reiterated by local officials, that culture allows even small towns to make significant strides in terms of identity and shared memory.
Where it takes place: Pellezzano and surroundings
- Municipality: Pellezzano (SA), approximately 10,000 inhabitants, distributed among the hamlets of Capezzano, Coperchia, Capriglia, and the main town of Pellezzano
- Territory: Irno Valley, the hilly strip connecting Salerno to the hinterland towards Baronissi and Fisciano
- Venue: Giardini di Piazza Municipio, in front of the town hall
- Distances: A few kilometers from the center of Salerno and its seafront
Why it's worth visiting
Those looking for a massive festival with multiple stages and thousands of attendees won't find it here. Racconti d'Estate is something else: a handful of evenings spread between May and July, with one guest at a time, plenty of conversation, and a human scale that is now rare. For a visitor staying on the coast or in the city of Salerno, it is the perfect opportunity to head up into the hills for an evening and see firsthand how a community in inland Campania builds its own summer cultural offering.
Racconti d'Estate — edition 2026
Six meetings for the sixth edition
2026 marked the 6th edition of Racconti d'Estate, the festival promoted by the Municipality of Pellezzano and organized by dLiveMedia Comunicazione ed Eventi under the artistic direction of Roberto Vargiu. The calendar opened in May and was spread throughout the month of June, concluding in mid-July, with a deliberately sparse frequency: one guest at a time, to give each meeting time to breathe.
A lineup between screen, stage, and music
The choice of guests alternated between television journalism—with Greta Mauro at the opening and Monica Caradonna—and the world of acting, with Flora Canto, Irene Maiorino, and Fortunato Cerlino. Completing the picture was the evening with Raiz, the Neapolitan singer and actor, voice of Almamegretta, who structured his talk as a journey through music, storytelling, and personal reflections.
The format of the meetings
Each appointment took place outdoors in the Giardini di Piazza Municipio, starting between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM. The hosting was entrusted each time to information professionals: Valeria Saggese, Rai host and author, for the evening with Raiz; journalist Stefania Maffeo for the meeting with Irene Maiorino. Support for the edition came from Banca Monte Pruno, Cartesar, Centro Lars, Galdieri Auto, and other local partners.
Programme Racconti d'Estate 2026
Calendar of the 6th edition (2026) — Giardini di Piazza Municipio, Pellezzano
- Tuesday, May 19th — Greta Mauro, journalist and TV host. Inaugural evening of the festival.
- Friday, June 12th — Monica Caradonna, journalist, face of Rai Italia.
- Tuesday, June 23rd, 6:00 PM — Flora Canto, actress and host.
- Saturday, June 27th, 7:00 PM — Raiz, singer and actor, historic voice of Almamegretta. Meeting moderated by Valeria Saggese, Rai host and author: a journey through music, storytelling, and personal reflections.
- Thursday, July 9th, 7:00 PM — Irene Maiorino, actress, performer of the adult Lila in the series My Brilliant Friend. Moderated by journalist Stefania Maffeo: artistic path, character work, and experiences in cinema, television, and theater.
- Saturday, July 11th — Fortunato Cerlino, actor, protagonist of the final appointment and closing evening of the 6th edition.
Note: some local sources, in the first announcement of the program, had inverted the dates of Raiz and Fortunato Cerlino; reports published close to the evenings confirm Raiz on June 27th and Cerlino on July 11th.
Highlights Racconti d'Estate 2026
- Raiz (June 27th) — the voice of Almamegretta recounts his path through Neapolitan music, theater, and television.
- Irene Maiorino (July 9th) — the adult Lila from My Brilliant Friend before the Pellezzano audience.
- Fortunato Cerlino (July 11th) — closing evening with one of the most recognizable actors in Italian series.
- Flora Canto (June 23rd) — between television, theater, and comedy.
- All meetings held outdoors in the Giardini di Piazza Municipio, in a dialogue format with the audience.
Prices Racconti d'Estate 2026
Practical information — Racconti d'Estate
How to get there
By car: Take the Fratte or Salerno exit from the A2 del Mediterraneo motorway, then follow signs for the Irno Valley and Pellezzano. The town hall is located at Piazza Municipio 1.
By train: Salerno station, served by Frecce and Intercity trains, then local bus connections towards the Irno Valley.
By plane: Salerno-Costa d'Amalfi Airport (Pontecagnano) and Naples-Capodichino Airport.
Hours and venue
The meetings are held in the Giardini di Piazza Municipio, outdoors, generally in the late afternoon or early evening (local sources indicate start times between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM).
Tickets
Local sources do not report an entry fee or a dedicated box office. For updated information on access, potential reservations, and the schedule, it is best to contact the Municipality of Pellezzano directly (tel. +39 089 568711) or consult the municipal administration's channels.
Tips
- Arrive a little early: the garden space is intimate and seating is limited.
- The evenings are outdoors: in the early summer evenings in the hills, a light jacket may be useful.
- Those staying in Salerno can combine the evening meeting with a day on the seafront or the coast.
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Where does it take place — Racconti d'Estate
Giardini di Piazza Municipio
Piazza Municipio 1, 84080 Pellezzano