Summer Night: A Party in the Villa

An art festival in the heart of the Laga mountains

"Summer Night: A Party in the Villa" is the summer event that brings Piano Grande, a hamlet of the municipality of Torricella Sicura in the province of Teramo, to life among the hills rising toward the Laga Mountains. It is a new-generation village festival: not just stalls and music, but a true cultural event whose distinctive element is the "X Villa" plein-air painting competition. For an entire weekend, the village transforms into an open-air studio where dozens of artists paint the views, houses, and colors of this Abruzzo town live.

The "X Villa" competition

Established in 2024, the "X Villa" competition is organized by the Associazione Villa di Piano Grande in collaboration with the Fondazione Pasquale Celommi ETS and the HEART art gallery in Teramo. Each edition proposes a theme that invites participants to go beyond simple realistic reproduction and interpret the landscape with a personal gaze: after the inaugural theme "Physics & Metaphysics," the event has expanded the number of artists involved over the years, also opening a "Teen" category dedicated to younger participants. The works created during the day are evaluated by a jury of art critics and professors and awarded at the end of the festival.

Music, flavors, and community

The program of the festival itself revolves around the competition: live music, tastings of typical products from the Teramo area, stalls from local farms and wineries, and moments of conviviality that draw residents and visitors to the small village. It is a way to showcase a secluded corner of the Teramo hinterland and to bring the village square and streets to life, even if only for a summer night.

Torricella Sicura and the Laga villages

Torricella Sicura is a scattered municipality in inland Abruzzo, made up of numerous hamlets scattered among woods, hills, and streams at the foot of the Laga Mountains. "A Party in the Villa" is part of a busy summer calendar curated by local associations, the Pro Loco of Torricella Sicura, and volunteers, who animate the town between June and October with food festivals, flower festivals, and patronal feasts. For those seeking an authentic Abruzzo, far from the most crowded destinations, this festival is an opportunity to discover a village, its people, and its artistic vocation.