# Cultural festivals and events in Italy

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/20261015-cultural-festivals-and-events-in-italy
> Updated: 2026-10-25T10:00:00.000Z. Sources: 13. Developments: 3.

In October 2026, various cultural festivals in Italy are addressing social, human rights, and identity themes. In the Salento region, the Discorsi Mediterranei festival in Specchia is focusing on queer lives, rights, and resistance, examining discrimination within the Salento region and the broader Euro-Mediterranean space. Meanwhile, the ‘Di Libri e di Luna’ festival in Lequile uses literature and cinema to explore Mediterranean migration journeys, including a screening of the documentary ‘Cutro, Calabria, Italia’ with director Mimmo Calopresti.

Other scheduled events include the third edition of the ‘Stories of Identity’ international art exhibition at the MUST OFF Gallery in Lecce, curated by Carmela Loiacono and featuring 19 global artists from October 16 to October 25. In Molfetta, as part of the Storie Italiane Festival, professor Annastella Carrino will present her book, ‘Prima lezione di storia di genere’, on October 22 to examine the evolution of gender as a historiographical category.

Looking toward late October and early November, new events will address representation and resistance. In Lecce, the Biblioteca Bernardini will host a presentation on October 26 of Samantha Perrone’s essay, ‘Immagini di vita. Parole di resistenza sotto i bombardamenti israeliani su Gaza’, which explores Palestinian literary history. Additionally, a conference in Siena on November 3 will examine how photography shaped cultural stereotypes and the visual construction of Italian identity and the Orient.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-25: Cultural events in Siena and Lecce address photography and Palestinian literature

Cultural presentations in Siena and Lecce will examine photographic identity in the Orient and Palestinian literary resistance.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/cultural-events-in-siena-and-lecce-address-photography-and-palestinian-literature

### 2026-10-15: Cultural events scheduled in Lecce and Molfetta

Cultural events in Italy include the ‘Stories of Identity’ international art exhibition in Lecce and a book presentation by historian Annastella Carrino in Molfetta regarding gender history.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/cultural-events-scheduled-in-lecce-and-molfetta

### 2026-10-07: Cultural festivals in Italy focus on LGBTQIA+ rights and migration

Cultural festivals in Specchia and Lequile, Italy, are hosting events focused on LGBTQIA+ rights and the human narratives of migration through cinema and literature.

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/cultural-festivals-in-italy-focus-on-lgbtqia-rights-and-migration

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Cite as: Cultural festivals and events in Italy. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/20261015-cultural-festivals-and-events-in-italy