Not only for the sea and the beach, in summer the heart of Villasimius also “beats” for culture. Here, the small square of the tourist port becomes an open-air stage for writers, actresses, poets and directors: it is the Festival della Marina di Villasimius, which from 12 July to 3 August returns with its seventh edition, signed by the artistic direction of the writer and screenwriter Francesca Serafini.
Seven free-entry evenings make up a program that intertwines literature, cinema and theater, with Italian and international guests. The stage will feature, among others, Javier Cercas, Valeria Golino, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Piera Detassis, Valerio Mastandrea, Nicola Lagioia, Laura Morante, Claudia Durastanti, Helena Janeczek, Francesca Comencini, Fabrizio Gifuni, Stefano Dal Bianco (winner of the 2024 Strega Poetry Prize) and Stefano Petrocchi, fresh winner of the 2025 Strega Prize.
The inauguration, on Saturday 12th July, is entrusted to “Prima la vita”, with Francesca Comencini and Fabrizio Gifuni. The following day it will be the turn of Nicola Lagioia, with the recital “Presto saprò chi sono”.
On July 19th, “Being Valeri/e” will be staged, a reflection on cinema and identity that will see Valeria Golino, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Valerio Mastandrea together, guided by Francesca Serafini.
On July 20th, the “Serata Stregata” will be celebrated, with Stefano Dal Bianco and Stefano Petrocchi, while on July 26th the protagonist will be the Spanish writer Javier Cercas , who will discuss his new novel in dialogue with Giordano Meacci, accompanied by readings by the actress Silvia D'Amico.
On August 2nd the festival will ideally be linked to the 40th anniversary of the Giuseppe Dessì Prize , with the meeting “Straniere in patria” featuring two of the most interesting voices in contemporary fiction, Claudia Durastanti and Helena Janeczek.
The closing, on August 3, is entrusted to “L'Aura” , with Laura Morante in conversation with Piera Detassis.
