The fourth edition of the Festival of Medieval Cities returns to the Parco del Castello in L’Aquila: four days of meetings, lectures, discussions, and performances on the theme “Peace and War: Walls and Bridges.” Among the guests are leading historians, writers, and intellectuals from the Italian cultural scene.
From June 25–28, 2026, the Parco del Castello dell’Aquila will host the fourth edition of the Festival of Medieval Cities, one of the highlights of the program forL’Aquila, Italian Capital of Culture 2026. Organized in collaboration with theUniversity of L’Aquila and by the City of L’Aquila, and edited by university professors Amedeo Feniello and Alfonso Forgione, the Festival returns with a theme of extraordinary relevance: “Peace and War. Walls and Bridges”.
The theme: walls that separate, bridges that unite
At the heart of this fourth edition lies a tension that the Middle Ages knew well and that the present recognizes with immediate familiarity: to defend oneself or to open up, to separate or to unite. Medieval walls speak of identity, protection, fear, and belonging; bridges speak of passage, exchange, dialogue, and connection. Between conflict and coexistence, the Festival interprets the Middle Ages as a complex era—marked by violence but also by ongoing practices of mediation, diplomacy, and the pursuit of peace—bringing that complexity back to the center of contemporary debate.
“Through the story of the Middle Ages, we are not speaking of a distant past, but rather examining our present in light of the tensions between isolation and dialogue, between the need to protect our identity and the duty to be open to exchange. L’Aquila, a city of stone and history that has made reconstruction and dialogue its mission, is the ideal setting to host this outstanding event promoting scientific outreach and civic engagement,”, said themayor of L’Aquila, Pierluigi Biondi.
The guests: historians, intellectuals, and leading voices in public discourse
The Festival brings to L’Aquila a distinguished group of guests who combine academic rigor with the ability to communicate complex ideas to a broader audience, reaffirming the event’s dual nature as both a scientific conference and an event open to the city. Among the announced participants:
- Duccio Balestracci — medieval historian, one of the leading experts on the Italian communal Middle Ages
- Anna Foa — historian, professor at Sapienza University of Rome, specialist in modern history and the history of minorities
- Alessandro Vanoli — historian and writer, expert on the history of the medieval Mediterranean
- Franco Cardini — an internationally renowned historian and medievalist, one of the most authoritative voices on medieval European civilization
- Lella Costa — one of the most recognizable actresses and voices in Italian theater and culture
- Marina Montesano — medieval historian, University of Genoa
- Antonio Brusa — historian and history educator, one of the leading figures in the debate on the teaching of history in Italy
- Dario Fabbri — geopolitical analyst and editor-in-chief of Domino, one of the leading voices in the Italian strategic debate
I Discussions of the Festival will be moderated by Giovanni Carletti.
Four Days Between History and the Present
The four-day event features meetings, lectures, discussions, and performances that explore the medieval period from various perspectives: from the ancient world to the Italian communes, from the fortifications of Abruzzo to the human and economic cost of war, from defensive architecture as a means of collective identity to diplomatic practices aimed at peace.
The Castle Park — home to the MuNDA, the National Museum of Abruzzo — is the most fitting historical and symbolic setting for a festival that uses the Middle Ages as a lens through which to view the present: a 16th-century castle built on medieval foundations, in the heart of a city that continues to build its own future.
A Long-Standing Institutional Partnership
The Medieval Cities Festival is now in its fourth year, confirming a rare trait in the Italian cultural events scene: continuity. Born from the collaboration between the City of L’Aquila and theUniversity of L’Aquila, the Festival has, over time, built a recognizable identity and a loyal audience, cementing L’Aquila’s role as a premier venue for high-quality historical outreach on a national level. In its year as the Italian Capital of Culture, this calling finds its highest expression.