The festival dedicated to the most illustrious citizen of the medieval village is back again this year in Castell’Arquato:

Festival Illica

Friday 3, Thursday 16 and Wednesday 22 July 2026. Palazzo del Podestà and monumental square of Castell’Arquato

Luigi Illica (1857-1919), an illustrious figure of opera librettist, poetry and journalism, was born, died and linked a large part of his human and artistic history to Castell’Arquato. Every year, in summer, the village remembers and celebrates him with a series of concerts, shows and moments of in-depth analysis, now in its thirteenth edition.

Program

My Cousin – cineconcerto

Friday 3 July 2026, 9.30 p.m.
hall of the Palazzo del Podestà, Piazza Municipio, Castell’Arquato

Screening of the film by Edward Josè (USA, 1918), the only testimony that has come down to us of the legendary tenor Enrico Caruso’s activity as an actor, with the accompaniment of the original music by Daniele Furlati, performed live by the Ensemble of the Teatro Comunale di Modena.
Free event with reservation required.

Stefano Massini in: I lived on art. Luigi Illica between myth, music and stage.

Thursday 16 July, 9.30 pm
monumental square of Castell’Arquato

Show by and with Stefano Massini. With Renata Campanella (soprano), Diego Cavazzin (tenor) and Federico Forti (piano).

Sergio Rubini and the Arturo Toscanini Philharmonic in: The Magic Flute

Wednesday 22 July, 9.30 pm
monumental square of Castell’Arquato

By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. With: Sergio Rubini (narrator). Cast: Nofar Yacobi (soprano) – Queen of the Night; Aloisia De Nardis (soprano) – Pamina, Papagena; Gonzalo Godoy Sepulveda (baritone) – Papageno; Ferdinand Muradyan (bass) – Sarastro. Conductor of the Arturo Toscanini Philharmonic Orchestra: Maestro Nicola Valentini.

On the occasion of the Illica Festival, the Illica Museum will be open to the public from 6 to 9 p.m. on the three days of the shows, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from 4 to 19 July.

Sensory guided tours

Saturday 11 July 2026, 6 pm, and Sunday 12 July 2026, 11 am
departure from IAT-R Castell’Arquato and Val d’Arda, Palazzo del Podestà, Piazza Municipio

Two special guided tours to discover the village through the eyes of Luigi Illica, to discover together the views that have influenced his creative activity. It includes a guided tour of the Illica Museum and an aperitif with a glass of bubbles at the Enoteca Comunale. Event with reservations required by email (iatcastellarquato@gmail.com) or telephone (0523 803215).