SeicentoNovecento Festival

The SeicentoNovecento Festival in Scanno

The SeicentoNovecento Festival is one of the longest-running early and classical music events in Abruzzo: a travelling festival that brings high-level concerts to the villages and cities of the region's four provinces every summer. Curated by the Ensemble Seicentonovecento under the artistic direction of Stefania Di Giuseppe, the festival has surpassed twenty-seven editions and involves soloists and ensembles from the Italian and European musical scene.

Among the most anticipated stops is Scanno, a stunning village in the Upper Sagittario Valley in the province of L'Aquila, famous for its maze of medieval alleys, traditional costumes, and nearby lake. Here, the concerts find an exceptional setting: the former Anime Sante Auditorium and the Church of Sant'Eustachio, where the antique organ becomes the protagonist of evenings dedicated to the repertoire of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.

Early music among the village churches

The Scanno programme ranges from Renaissance and Baroque instrumental music to the great European organ repertoire, including 19th-century salon pieces and rediscoveries of Abruzzese composers. Each evening is designed as a refined listening experience, enhanced by the acoustics of the sacred buildings and the charm of summer mountain nights.

A festival spread across Abruzzo

The travelling format is the hallmark of the festival: from July to August, concerts visit numerous locations across Abruzzo, from the Pescara coast to the mountain villages of the L'Aquila hinterland. Scanno, with its musical tradition and tourist appeal, represents one of the most significant hubs of this widespread itinerary, which unites historical-artistic heritage and musical culture in one of the most evocative regions of Central Italy.