Scenari – Modica Literary Festival
The literary festival in the Baroque heart of Modica
About Scenari
A festival among the Baroque stones
Scenari is the literary festival that brings the historic center of Modica, in the heart of the Ragusa province, Sicily, to life every summer. For five consecutive weekends, the famous staircases and late-Baroque palaces of the Iblean town—recognized as UNESCO World Heritage sites—become the natural backdrop for encounters with writers, journalists, artists, and intellectuals. The formula blends literature, current affairs, performance, and music, offering the public free open-air evenings in some of the city's most fascinating locations.
Event venues
The festival takes place across the iconic monuments of Modica: the monumental San Giorgio staircase, the church of San Pietro, San Giovanni, Palazzo San Domenico (City Hall), and the churchyard of Madonna delle Grazie. Each evening moves the audience to a different corner of the historic center, in a journey that reveals the Baroque architecture of the Iblean city while listening to the guests. Main events generally begin at 9:00 PM.
A multidisciplinary program
Born as a series of author meetings linked to the city's Mondadori BookStore, Scenari has progressively expanded into a well-rounded festival, capable of alternating book presentations, dialogues on current events, theatrical monologues, and concerts. Alongside the evening lineup, the programming includes more intimate moments at sunset, musical aperitifs, and side events that extend the festivities into the Modican nights.
- Encounters with Italian and international writers
- Dialogues on current affairs and journalism
- Performances, monologues, and readings
- Evening concerts and DJ sets
Organization and identity
Scenari is promoted by the Mondadori BookStore in collaboration with the Fondazione Teatro Garibaldi and Babel Agency, under the artistic direction of Piera Ficili, with the support of the Municipality of Modica, the Free Municipal Consortium of Ragusa, the Sicilian Region, and the Chamber of Commerce of South-East Sicily. The festival claims a strong sense of belonging to the Modican community: it is born every year thanks to a collective effort between institutions, private sponsors, and citizens, which allows for free admission to all events.
Scenari — edition 2026
Scenari 2026: "Common Good"
The fifth edition of Scenari takes place in Modica from June 25 to July 26, 2026, centered on the theme of the "Common Good." Opening the festival on Thursday, June 25, on the San Giorgio staircase, is the French writer Emmanuel Carrère with his "Kolchoz."
The evening lineup includes Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Sigfrido Ranucci, Serena Bortone, Vincenzo Schettini, Alessia Gazzola, Csaba dalla Zorza, Paolo Gentiloni with Paolo Magri, Enzo Iacchetti, Davide Banzato, Romina Power, Stefano Mancuso, Mario Calabresi, and Franco Arminio. The festival concludes on Sunday, July 26, on the San Giorgio staircase with a concert by Dimartino.
Scenari at Sunset
A new feature for the 2026 edition is the "Scenari at Sunset" series, four Thursday appointments at 7:00 PM at Pizzo Belvedere and the Belvedere dell'Itria, featuring encounters, monologues, and musical aperitifs. Completing the program are Saturday after-festival events with concerts and DJ sets.
All meetings take place at 9:00 PM between San Giorgio, San Pietro, San Giovanni, Palazzo San Domenico, and the churchyard of Madonna delle Grazie, with free admission until capacity is reached.
Programme Scenari 2026
Main Program (9:00 PM)
- June 25 – Emmanuel Carrère (San Giorgio)
- June 26 – Valeria Bruni Tedeschi (San Pietro)
- June 27 – Sigfrido Ranucci (San Pietro)
- July 3 – Serena Bortone (Madonna delle Grazie)
- July 4 – Vincenzo Schettini (San Pietro)
- July 5 – Alessia Gazzola (Palazzo San Domenico)
- July 10 – Csaba dalla Zorza (Palazzo San Domenico)
- July 11 – Paolo Gentiloni and Paolo Magri (Palazzo di Città)
- July 12 – Enzo Iacchetti (San Giovanni)
- July 17 – Davide Banzato (San Giovanni)
- July 18 – Romina Power (San Giorgio)
- July 19 – Stefano Mancuso (Madonna delle Grazie)
- July 24 – Mario Calabresi (San Pietro)
- July 25 – Franco Arminio (Madonna delle Grazie)
- July 26 – Dimartino concert (San Giorgio)
Scenari at Sunset (Thursdays 7:00 PM)
- July 2 – Lorena Spampinato
- July 9 – Iaia Forte
- July 16 – Franco Currò
- July 23 – Carlo Cottarelli and Paolo Magri
Highlights Scenari 2026
Prices Scenari 2026
Practical information — Scenari
How to get there
Modica is located in south-eastern Sicily, in the province of Ragusa. By car, it can be reached via the Catania–Ragusa–Modica highway; the nearest airport is Comiso (about 30 km away), while Catania Fontanarossa is about an hour and a half away. The city is served by the Modica train station.
Tickets
All meetings are free to attend until capacity is reached. We recommend arriving early for evenings with high-profile guests.
Tips
Events take place outdoors on staircases and churchyards in the historic center: comfortable footwear is recommended. Take advantage of your visit to taste the famous Modica PGI chocolate.
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 — Scenari
Scalinata di San Giorgio e centro storico