'Segreti d'Autore', a triumph for audiences and art: 20 consecutive days of sold-out performances in the heart of Cilento.

The spotlight is on the sixteenth edition of "Segreti d'Autore," the festival conceived by Ruggero Cappuccio and directed by Nadia Baldi, which transformed Palazzo Coppola di Valle/Sessa Cilento (Sa), Italy, into an open-air stage for culture, emotion, and truth. From July 25th to August 13th, the palace's historic and artistic setting hosted a packed program of events—theater, cinema, literature, exhibitions, aerial performances, and social outreach—supported by the Ministry of Culture and the Campania Region with funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

One of the most anticipated events of the Campania summer, it not only showcases the pristine beauty of the Cilento hinterland but also uncovers the charm of its food and wine traditions, confirming its position as a showcase of excellence for the region.

A bet won

"It was once again a winning gamble," declared Nadia Baldi, artistic director of the Festival, emphasizing the audience's enthusiasm as proof of the need for festivals capable of combining, in line with the Festival's manifesto, the environment, art, science, and legality.

"Fun at Segreti is never an end in itself, and those who come know this very well," added Baldi, recalling how the award given to two extraordinary women like Eva Crosetta and Paola Turci was the perfect opportunity to address important social issues and to understand how generosity and commitment are fundamental aspects to getting to know the person first and then the character.

This factor emerged forcefully throughout each of the 20 days of programming, which were always sold out, in a symbiosis between artists and audiences where the defining element is truth. "What makes our Festival special," Baldi continues, "is the pleasure of telling stories and sharing one another's stories without filters, with the sincerity of authentic relationships, as can only be done between friends. The underlying theme of Segreti has always been that of feelings and bonds consolidated over time."

Homage to Roberto Herlitzka and exhibitions

It was so for almost all of this year's protagonists, and it is even more so today for a brilliant actor like Roberto Herlitzka, to whom Baldi has dedicated an exhibition at Palazzo Coppola for two years, that is, since his passing. "To remind everyone of his talent and to feel, through his personal objects, his reassuring presence," explained the artistic director.

Among the exhibitions that can be visited throughout the Festival, the most notable are “Herlitzka’s Room,” curated by Nadia Baldi herself, and “When the Child Was a Child,” curated by Antonella Romano, both open from 18 to 20 pm every day.

The protagonists and the winners

In addition to the two award winners Eva Crosetta and Paola Turci, who were presented with a work of art by Maestro Mimmo Paladino, the Festival hosted, among others, Antonella Romano, who also curated the exhibition "When the Child Was a Child," Antonella Di Nocera, Cloris Brosca and Carlo Fenizi, the Funa Company with its aerial performance, Maurizio De Giovanni and Marco Zurzolo, Cristina Donadio and Federico Odling, Gigi and Ross, Fulvio Cuteruccio, Vincenzo Marra, Rossella Pugliese, Francesco Prisco and Marco Critelli, Paolo Caiazzo, Fortunato Cerlino, Francesco Cicchella, and the trio formed by Corrado Ardone, Massimo Peluso and Ettore Massa.

A model of sustainable culture

"Segreti d'Autore" thus confirms itself not just as a cultural event, but as a model of sustainable culture, rooted in the local area and forging authentic connections between artists, audiences, and communities. An example of how culture can be a driver of development, inclusion, and growth, while respecting the environment and local traditions.