Verbália

Verbália, the culture of Verbania

Verbália is a cultural festival conceived and promoted by the municipal administration of Verbania, the capital city of the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola province, nestled on the shores of Lake Maggiore in Piedmont. The initiative was born with the goal of providing the city with a national-level intellectual forum, capable of focusing on current events, geopolitics, history, and the debate of ideas.

A weekend of meetings on Lake Maggiore

The festival takes place over a weekend in late May and is hosted across two iconic city venues: the historic Villa Giulia, an elegant 19th-century residence overlooking the Pallanza lakefront, and the Società Operaia di Mutuo Soccorso (Workers' Mutual Aid Society) in Intra, on Via Aristide De Bonis. Each edition is built around a unifying theme that serves as the common thread for all discussions.

The 2026 edition: Between East and West

The second edition, scheduled from May 29 to 31, 2026, is dedicated to the theme "Between East and West: Europe's Great Challenge." The program brings together some of the most recognizable voices in the Italian essayist and journalistic landscape, called upon to reflect on the role of the European continent in a rapidly changing world. The meetings are moderated by journalist and writer Gianluca Veneziani.

A cultural project for the community

All Verbália events are free of charge: a deliberate choice reflecting the Municipality's desire to make culture accessible and to stimulate active citizen participation. The festival alternates between conferences, dialogues, and—in its first edition—musical performances, establishing itself as an open and plural space for in-depth analysis.

Verbania and Lake Maggiore

The festival is set in one of Northern Italy's most beloved tourist destinations. Verbania, with its gardens, historic villas, and famous lakeside landscape, offers visitors the opportunity to combine cultural enrichment with the discovery of a territory of great beauty, between Lake Maggiore and the Ossola valleys.