In L’ Aquila’s quest to become the Italian Capital of Culture 2026 , April confirms its deepest connection between past and future. On the seventeenth anniversary of the earthquake, the Municipality and its citizens renew their solemn tribute to the memory of the 309 victims through a commemorative program that chooses the tenacity of the flower as a symbol of regeneration.
A New Language for Remembrance
The year 2026 marks an important milestone in the way we “honor the memory” through a journey of reflection. At dusk on April 5, a blue beam of light will rise toward the sky from the courtyard of Palazzo Margherita. The evening will continue at 9:00 p.m. at the Villa Comunale with the distribution of flowers, followed by a performance by the Solisti Aquilani under the portico of the Emiciclo. The event will culminate at the Parco della Memoria with the lighting of the brazier at 10:15 p.m., the reading of the names, and the laying of flowers at the park’s fountain shortly after midnight.
A symbol of this bond is the “Flower of Remembrance” pin—the saffron crocus—described by Mayor Pierluigi Biondi as: “A resilient flower, as tenacious as our land, as our people… a cameo of that great memorial that is L’Aquila, a stage of sorrow and rebirth.”
Music as a Bridge Between Generations
The celebrations combine institutional solemnity and musical art under the direction of Maestro Leonardo De Amicis. On April 6, following the Holy Mass in memory of the victims at the Church of the Holy Souls in Piazza Duomo, presided over by Archbishop Antonio D’Angelo, the Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio will host a moment of reflection featuring the Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir and Daniele Pecci.
This afternoon, a concertby the “Orchestra Jazz che Vorrei” at the Senior Services Center (CSA) will highlight the connection between historical memory and creative energy. As Mayor Biondi emphasized: “For us, remembering is not just about reflecting on that night; it is about choosing, every day, to be a community worthy of that wound and that legacy.”
VIEW THE DETAILED SCHEDULE to find out all the times and locations of the events.