Vesuvian Villas Festival (Torre del Greco leg)
Theatre, music, and dance in the historic mansions of the Golden Mile
About Vesuvian Villas Festival
A festival that breathes within the Golden Mile villas
The Vesuvian Villas Festival is a major summer event that brings the 18th-century historic mansions along the so-called Golden Mile to life every July. This coastal stretch connects Naples to Torre del Greco, passing through Portici, Ercolano, and San Giorgio a Cremano. Organized by the Fondazione Ente Ville Vesuviane, the festival does more than just use these villas as a backdrop: it opens them to the public, tells their stories, and places them back at the heart of the cultural life of the Vesuvian territory in Campania.
The format is itinerant. Over four weeks, the program moves from villa to villa—Villa Campolieto in Ercolano, the Royal Palace and Villa Mascolo in Portici, Villa Bruno in San Giorgio a Cremano, Palazzo Bisignano and Villa Spinelli in Naples-Barra—and fully involves the Municipality of Torre del Greco, which plays a leading role in the calendar with two distinct venues.
Torre del Greco: Palazzo Vallelonga and Villa delle Ginestre
In Torre del Greco, the festival is divided between two venues with very different yet complementary characters.
- Palazzo Vallelonga: The courtyard of this palace, home to the Banca di Credito Popolare, hosts open-air music and theatre evenings, often accompanied by art exhibitions set up in the interior spaces.
- Villa delle Ginestre: The mansion on the slopes of Vesuvius linked to the stay of Giacomo Leopardi, a secluded and evocative setting that the festival gladly dedicates to literary, musical, and theatre-song productions.
For the public, it is an unusual way to visit the city: you enter buildings that are not always accessible throughout the year and watch a show with the gulf and the volcano in the background.
What to expect
The program is intentionally multidisciplinary and changes every year, but some themes remain constant:
- Prose and Neapolitan theatre, with a particular focus on the traditions of Eduardo Scarpetta, Eduardo De Filippo, Roberto De Simone, Annibale Ruccello, and Manlio Santanelli;
- Concerts featuring classical, symphonic, singer-songwriter, and Neapolitan music, with guest orchestras and chamber ensembles;
- Dance and contemporary performing arts;
- Exhibitions set up within the villas, included as part of the evening's experience;
- Original productions designed specifically for the spaces of the Vesuvian mansions.
A heritage to be rediscovered
The Vesuvian Villas are a unique European treasure: over a hundred noble and bourgeois residences built in the 18th century around the Royal Palace of Portici, when the Bourbon court chose these slopes as a summer retreat. Many have endured difficult decades of neglect and urban speculation; the Fondazione Ente Ville Vesuviane was created precisely to protect them and return them to the community. In this sense, the festival is the most visible tool of that work: the ticket for a show becomes a gesture of support for the conservation of a fragile heritage.
Why it's worth the trip
Attending a festival show in Torre del Greco means combining three things in a single evening that rarely coincide: a historic site of great beauty, a national-level program featuring well-known names in Italian theatre and music, and affordable prices. It is one of the most solid cultural offerings of the summer in the province of Naples, suitable for both those living in the Vesuvian area and those staying in Naples, Ercolano, or on the coast looking for an evening that is out of the ordinary.
Please note that the shows take place mostly outdoors, in the courtyards and gardens of the villas: it is advisable to arrive with some time to spare, especially when admission is free and seats fill up quickly.
Vesuvian Villas Festival — edition 2026
The Age of the Golden Mile
The 2026 edition, the thirty-seventh, was built around the theme 'The Age of the Golden Mile – Lava Stones and Golden Crystals', a title that recalls the deep bond between the Vesuvian territory and its noble mansions. Artistic director Bruno Tabacchini presented it as a dynamic bridge between tradition and contemporary languages, rather than a simple exercise in memory.
The festival opened on July 3rd at Villa Campolieto in Ercolano with the exhibition 'Scarpetta after Scarpetta', marking the centenary of the playwright's death, and a concert by Avion Travel accompanied by the Nuova Orchestra Scarlatti. It closed on July 29th with the Carmina Burana performed by the Teatro di San Carlo ensembles. In between, nearly a month of shows took place across Ercolano, Torre del Greco, Portici, San Giorgio a Cremano, and Naples-Barra, featuring performers well-known to the Italian public such as Serena Rossi, Massimiliano Gallo, Lina Sastri, and Giampaolo Morelli.
The evenings in Torre del Greco
The Municipality of Torre del Greco hosted four events concentrated in the first week. The two evenings at Palazzo Vallelonga, supported by BCP – Banca di Credito Popolare, offered free admission until capacity was reached and featured the exhibition 'Tracce Vesuviane' by master Lello Esposito, set up within the palace. Villa delle Ginestre hosted two productions with a more literary and musical focus, in dialogue with the Leopardi memory of the site.
Programme Vesuvian Villas Festival 2026
Torre del Greco — Palazzo Vallelonga (7:30 PM, free admission until capacity reached)
- Saturday, July 4th — 'Eduardo's poems in music', with singer-songwriter Patrizia Cirulli: ten poems by Eduardo De Filippo in Neapolitan, featuring classical guitars, traditional string instruments, and a string quartet. The exhibition 'Tracce Vesuviane' by master Lello Esposito is on display in the palace.
- Tuesday, July 7th — 'Poche storie – Trittico post eduardiano', with actress Gea Martire: about seventy minutes of theatre based on texts by Roberto De Simone, Annibale Ruccello, and Manlio Santanelli.
Torre del Greco — Villa delle Ginestre
- Thursday, July 9th — 'All'apparir del vero – The last song of Leopardi', directed by Antonio Piccolo.
- Friday, July 10th — 'Damme nu viento ca pozza navigare', a musical show dedicated to Roberto De Simone.
Elsewhere on the Golden Mile
- Friday, July 3rd, Villa Campolieto (Ercolano) — inauguration with the exhibition 'Scarpetta after Scarpetta' and a concert by Avion Travel with the Nuova Orchestra Scarlatti.
- Wednesday, July 29th — closing night with Carmina Burana and the Teatro di San Carlo ensembles.
The complete program, with about twenty events including prose, concerts, dance, and exhibitions in the villas of Ercolano, Portici, San Giorgio a Cremano, and Naples-Barra, is published on the Fondazione Ente Ville Vesuviane website.
Highlights Vesuvian Villas Festival 2026
- Four events in Torre del Greco, split between Palazzo Vallelonga and Villa delle Ginestre.
- Two evenings at Palazzo Vallelonga with free admission, thanks to the support of BCP – Banca di Credito Popolare.
- The 'Tracce Vesuviane' exhibition by master Lello Esposito in the spaces of Palazzo Vallelonga.
- 'All'apparir del vero – The last song of Leopardi' at Villa delle Ginestre, in the place linked to the poet's stay.
- A regional program featuring Serena Rossi, Massimiliano Gallo, Lina Sastri, Giampaolo Morelli, and Avion Travel.
- Closing night on July 29th with Carmina Burana by the Teatro di San Carlo.
Prices Vesuvian Villas Festival 2026
Practical information — Vesuvian Villas Festival
How to get there
Torre del Greco is located on the Vesuvian coast, about fifteen kilometers from Naples. By car, take the A3 Naples–Salerno motorway exit; by train, the city is served by lines connecting Naples to the Vesuvian and Sorrento coasts. For shows at Villa delle Ginestre, the Foundation provides parking and a free shuttle service.
Tickets
Tickets can be purchased online and at Etes.it sales points. The villa's box office opens on the evening of the show starting at 6:00 PM. Discounts are available for under-25s and over-65s; some evenings offer free admission until capacity is reached.
Tips
- Arrive at least thirty minutes early, especially for free events.
- Check the exact venue before leaving: the festival changes villas almost every night.
- Bring a light jacket: outdoor evenings on the slopes of Vesuvius can be breezy.
Contacts
Fondazione Ente Ville Vesuviane — tel. +39 081 7322134, e-mail [email protected], website villevesuviane.net.
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