Science and Philosophy Festival – Virtute e Canoscenza

A festival of knowledge between the Marche and Umbria

The Science and Philosophy Festival – Virtute e Canoscenza is a cultural dissemination event that every year, in spring, unites two cities: Foligno, in Umbria, and Fabriano, in the Province of Ancona, in the Marche region. The title echoes a famous verse by Dante and encapsulates the spirit of the initiative: the idea that knowledge and virtue are the true vocation of human beings. The Fabriano leg brings a packed schedule of free conferences to the city of paper, featuring leading scientists, philosophers, academics, and communicators.

Conferences, speakers, and major themes

The heart of the Festival lies in its conferences: in Fabriano, dozens are held each year, spread over several days and in various venues in the historic center. Speakers come from major Italian universities and research institutions, as well as from the fields of science communication, science journalism, and philosophy. Topics range from artificial intelligence to climate change, from neuroscience to space exploration, from genetics to mental health, and the great ethical questions of our time.

Each edition is built around a common thread: in recent years, the focus has been on intelligences and the future, circularity, and more recently, a new scientific humanism capable of reconciling technological progress and fundamental rights. The scientific committee includes authoritative figures from the Italian research and thought landscape.

Venues in Fabriano

The conferences take place in some of the most evocative locations in Fabriano's historic center, including the Teatro Gentile da Fabriano, the Cinema Montini, the Palazzo del Podestà, the Oratorio della Carità, and the Biblioteca Comunale (Municipal Library). The concentration of events in the heart of the city allows the public to move easily from one session to another on foot, while also experiencing Fabriano's historical and artistic heritage.

Young people as protagonists and Experimenta

A distinctive feature of the Festival is the central role given to students: many high school students participate as organizers, "Ambassadors," and sometimes as speakers, within the framework of transversal skills and orientation programs (PCTO). Alongside the conferences, Experimenta takes place, a program dedicated to educational workshops and practical activities, designed to introduce students and adults to science in a direct and engaging way.

An event not to be missed

Free and open to all, the Science and Philosophy Festival is an event that has won a vast and diverse audience over the years, capable of filling theaters and halls in the Municipality of Fabriano. For those who love to learn, listen, and question their own certainties, it is one of the most stimulating cultural opportunities of the spring season in the Marche region.