Vitulano International Marble Sculpture Symposium
International sculptors at work on Rosso Policromo marble in the heart of Sannio
About Vitulano Marble Symposium
Vitulano's red marble becomes sculpture
In the municipality of Vitulano, in the province of Benevento (Campania), stone is more than just quarry material: it is an identity. The Rosso Policromo di Vitulano, a marble with warm veining, is extracted from these mountains and has adorned altars, portals, and churches throughout the South for centuries. The International Marble Sculpture Symposium was created to bring this material back to the forefront: every year, Italian and international sculptors arrive in the village to carve blocks live in front of residents and visitors, culminating in the unveiling of the finished piece.
An open-air museum that grows every year
The concept dates back to 2014, initiated by local sculptor Mariano Goglia, who has since curated the artistic direction alongside the municipal administration. The formula is simple and generous: the work created during the symposium does not leave Vitulano; it stays. The municipality installs it in a public space, gradually transforming the village into a true art trail, with over seventy monumental works distributed along streets, gardens, and squares. The heart of the project is the green area connecting the former Church of the Trinity—now the Municipal Art Gallery—to the Cappella dei Nobili, in Piazza Santissima Trinità, under the shade of ancient plane trees.
The 2026 edition: "Vitulano is Europe"
The thirteenth edition, scheduled from July 30 to August 4, 2026, carries a distinctly civic theme. The work is entrusted to Father Battista Marello, a priest and artist from Caserta, and translates the Ventotene Manifesto into stone: two symmetrical blocks of Vitulano marble on a sandstone base, 2.6 meters high and 2 meters wide, opened like a book, with the island of Ventotene cast in bronze and the inscriptions "Il Manifesto di Ventotene 1944" and "Vitulano è Europa 2026". Mayor Raffaele Scarinzi has invited his counterpart from Ventotene, Carmine Caputo, to the inauguration to highlight the symbolic bond between the two communities: in a time of conflict, the administration believes it is worth reaffirming the common roots of European identity.
More than just sculpture: The Vitulano Summer
The symposium takes place in conjunction with the Estate Vitulanese (Vitulano Summer), a festival organized by the Pro Loco Camposauro APS—chaired by Pasquale Spitaletta—together with the municipality: six days of popular theater, concerts, conferences, charity events, and food stalls serving traditional Sannio dishes. The village becomes a sprawling stage, and the presentation of the sculpted work on August 4 is the most anticipated moment of the calendar.
The territory: Camposauro, the Via Francigena, and the quarries
Vitulano lies on the slopes of the Camposauro massif, amidst chestnut groves, springs, and trails, and leads a network of twenty-two Sannio municipalities along the southern Via Francigena: a choice that intertwines slow tourism, heritage, and the fight against depopulation in inland areas. Visitors arriving for the symposium can combine their visit with the Municipal Art Gallery, the sculpture trail in the town center, the Marble Museum, and an excursion to the ancient quarries that gave Sannio its "red stone".
Why it's worth the trip
- Witness live sculpture: dust, chisels, and blocks taking shape over just a few days.
- Admission is free and everything takes place outdoors in the historic center.
- Each edition leaves a permanent work: return a year later and the village has already changed.
- The setting is the authentic atmosphere of a Campanian Apennine village, with its cuisine and hospitality.
- The theme is never just decorative: peace, memory, Europe, women's work—the stone tells the story of the present.
Vitulano Marble Symposium — edition 2026
Six days in the center of Vitulano
From July 30 to August 4, 2026, the Municipality of Vitulano (Province of Benevento, Campania) hosts the thirteenth edition of the International Marble Sculpture Symposium, curated by sculptor Mariano Goglia and included in the calendar of the Vitulano Summer festival by Pro Loco Camposauro APS. The block of Rosso Policromo is worked in public, in the garden between the Municipal Art Gallery and the Cappella dei Nobili, and the finished work is presented on the final evening.
The Ventotene Manifesto in stone
The 2026 work is signed by Father Battista Marello, a priest and artist from the Caserta area: two symmetrical blocks of Vitulano marble on a sandstone base, 2.6 meters by 2, opened like a book, with the island of Ventotene cast in bronze and the inscriptions "Il Manifesto di Ventotene 1944" and "Vitulano è Europa 2026". Mayor Raffaele Scarinzi has invited the mayor of Ventotene, Carmine Caputo, to the event. The European theme is linked to Vitulano's role as the lead municipality for twenty-two Sannio centers along the southern Via Francigena.
Programme Vitulano Marble Symposium 2026
Thursday, July 30
Opening of the Vitulano Summer and start of the 13th Marble Sculpture Symposium. In the evening, "Sacro e Profano – Quando il cielo bacia la terra", a show by the Mario Viglione Popular Theater Group with the Corale Dolce Sentire: theater, music, and spirituality.
Friday, July 31
7:30 PM, Salone Paolo De Filippo (Piazza Santissima Trinità): conference "Rosso Policromo Marble of Vitulano – Sculpting the future. From tradition to female entrepreneurship", with Mayor Raffaele Scarinzi, Pro Loco Camposauro President Pasquale Spitaletta, sculptor Mariano Goglia, Father Battista Marello, Mario Ferraro (Matter Economy), and Luca Mauriello (Projenia), moderated by journalist Angelo Cerulo. Followed by a DJ set by Stefano Supino.
Saturday, August 1
Return of "La Corrida – Dilettanti allo sbaraglio", the local talent competition.
Sunday, August 2
"Walk for the Cure", a charity walk supporting Komen Italia's breast cancer prevention projects. In the evening, a concert by the Nuovo Canzoniere della Ritta e della Manca.
Monday, August 3
Concert by the Orchestrina Sanamalocchio.
Tuesday, August 4
Presentation of the work created during the 13th Marble Sculpture Symposium — the monument to the Ventotene Manifesto by Father Battista Marello — and final concert by Gattamolesta, gipsy punk.
Throughout the event: food stalls with traditional local dishes and free access to the village's sculpture trail. On August 10, as an appendix to the Vitulano summer, "Trekking under the stars" is planned.
Highlights Vitulano Marble Symposium 2026
- The sculpture dedicated to the Ventotene Manifesto: two blocks of Vitulano marble opened like a book, 2.6 meters high, with the bronze island and the inscription "Vitulano è Europa 2026".
- Sculptors at work live in the garden between the Municipal Art Gallery and the Cappella dei Nobili.
- The July 31 conference on Rosso Policromo and female entrepreneurship in the Salone Paolo De Filippo.
- "La Corrida – Dilettanti allo sbaraglio" on August 1 and the final concert by Gattamolesta.
- The "Walk for the Cure" charity walk on August 2 for Komen Italia.
- Food stalls with Sannio dishes, open every evening.
Prices Vitulano Marble Symposium 2026
Practical information — Vitulano Marble Symposium
How to get there
By car: from the A1 motorway, take the Caianello exit and then the SS372 Telesina, or from the A16, Benevento exit; Vitulano is about 20 km from Benevento, accessible via the SS7 Appia and the provincial roads of the Valle Vitulanese. By train: Benevento Centrale station, then regional buses to the Valle Vitulanese. Nearest airport: Naples Capodichino, about 80 km away.
Where it takes place
Sculpture sessions and evening events are concentrated in Piazza Santissima Trinità and the garden between the Municipal Art Gallery and the Cappella dei Nobili, in the center of Vitulano. Conferences are held in the Salone Paolo De Filippo, in Piazza Santissima Trinità.
Admission and costs
Participation in all events is free. Only food and drinks at the stalls are subject to payment.
Tips
Early August evenings in the hills can be cool: a light sweatshirt is useful. Wear comfortable shoes for the sculpture trail, which includes sloping streets. For accommodation, choose from the farmhouses and bed and breakfasts in the Valle Vitulanese, or hotels in Benevento.
Information
Municipality of Vitulano, Viale San Pietro 15 — tel. +39 0824 878622. Pro Loco Camposauro APS — tel. +39 0824 878025.
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Where does it take place — Vitulano Marble Symposium
Piazza Santissima Trinità e giardino della Cappella dei Nobili
Piazza Santissima Trinità, 82038 Vitulano