There is an Abruzzo that reveals itself slowly, as you follow the outline of the mountains, the blue of the Adriatic, and the places that inspired one of the greatest figures in Italian literature. This is the Abruzzo of the 2026 D’Annunzio Festival, an event running from August 26 to September 6 that invites residents and visitors alike to set out on a journey in the footsteps of Gabriele d’Annunzio, featuring events, performances, talks, and concerts spread across the province of Chieti and the city of Pescara.
For those traveling on the A24 and A25 highways, the Festival offers the perfect opportunity to turn a trip into an experience of discovery. The program kicks off in the places associated with D’Annunzio in the province of Chieti—from Rocca San Giovanni to Orsogna, from Francavilla al Mare to Ortona—towns and villages that preserve sights, traditions, and atmospheres that speak to the deep bond between the Poet and his homeland.
Starting August 29, the heart of the event moves to Pescara, where the Aurum, d’Annunzio’s birthplace, the Pineta Dannunziana, Pescara Vecchia, and other iconic sites of the city will host a rich calendar of events dedicated to literature, music, art, history, and new technologies. This wide-ranging cultural journey offers visitors the opportunity to experience the region through the eyes and inspiration of its most famous son.
Once again this year, Toto Holding, the parent company of Strada dei Parchi, is renewing its support for the event, reaffirming the Group’s commitment to promoting the cultural heritage and identity of the regions traversed by the infrastructure connecting Abruzzo and Lazio. Because roads do not merely connect places—they also connect stories, traditions, and opportunities for people to come together.
The “Gabriele d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara will also play an important role, contributing to the Festival with events and in-depth discussions dedicated to the poet, offering the public new perspectives on his thought, his relationship with modernity, and his connection to his homeland.
Set against a backdrop of sea, hills, and mountains, the Dannunziano Festival is an invitation to slow down, step off the beaten path, and let culture guide you on a journey of discovery through the authentic Abruzzo. A journey through extraordinary landscapes and places steeped in history, taking visitors through the very lands that helped shape Gabriele d’Annunzio’s imagination.
