Martina Franca showcases major art exhibition and baroque opera revival in July

The Italian town of Martina Franca will host two notable cultural events in July. From 26 July to 2 August 2026 the Casa Delle Artidi will present a solo exhibition by Milan‑adopted painter Fabio Grillo, titled “La forza della fragilità”. The show, which earned Grillo the Riflessi d’Arte 2025 prize, features hyper‑realist portraits that explore female vulnerability; entrance is free and opening hours run evenings on weekdays and all day on holidays.

Meanwhile the 52nd Festival della Valle d’Itria returns to Martina Franca with a historic revival of Francesco Provenzale’s 1672 baroque opera “Il schiavo di sua moglie”. The production, the first modern staging of the work, will be performed on 24, 27 and 30 July 2024 in the Chiostro del Carmine. It is directed by musicologist Antonio Florio, who also leads the Cappella Neapolitana, and features a cast drawn from the local Accademia del Belcanto. The opera’s manuscript, held in Rome’s Conservatorio Santa Cecilia, is highlighted as a key piece of Naples’ seventeenth‑century musical heritage.