The Blackbird Days

A festival in the heart of the Marche winter

I Giorni della Merla is the winter festival of literature and music that, every year at the end of January, enlivens the historic center of Macerata. The event takes its name from the famous popular legend according to which the blackbird days, January 29th, 30th, and 31st, are the coldest of the entire year. It is precisely on these icy evenings that the festival chooses to light up the city with the warm atmosphere of books, music, and shared words, offering the public an intimate and welcoming experience.

Promoted by Macerata Racconta

The event is promoted by the conTESTO Association as part of the Macerata Racconta project, one of the most deeply rooted cultural realities in the area. The creative direction is entrusted to Loredana Lipperini and Lucia Tancredi, who each year build a program capable of intertwining great voices of contemporary narrative with musicians and storytellers. The festival takes place under the patronage of the City of Macerata and is part of the broader cultural valorization path of the Municipality and the Marche Region.

Three evenings, three iconic locations

The festival's format includes three events spread over as many days, hosted in some of the most evocative locations in the city. Among the venues that host the encounters are the Teatro della Filarmonica, the Sala Cesanelli of the Sferisterio, and the Cinema Italia. Each evening brings together one or more writers with musicians and actors, in a format that blends readings, literary conversations, and live musical moments.

Literature, music, and a cup of tea

The distinctive feature of I Giorni della Merla is its intimate and convivial atmosphere. The encounters, always free admission subject to availability, are held in the late afternoon and are accompanied by tea tasting, reinforcing that sense of warmth and hospitality that characterizes the event. Over the years, the festival has hosted leading voices in the Italian literary scene, recipients of major national awards, confirming itself as a cultural reference point for the province of Macerata and the entire region.

An event for the community

I Giorni della Merla is not just a literary review, but a moment of cohesion for the Macerata community, which fills the halls of the historic center every year. The festival traditionally opens the new season of Macerata Racconta, anticipating the dense calendar of events that runs through the city's cultural year.