Rocca di Lonato to Host First Public Appearance by Strega Prize Winner

The Rocca di Lonato will host the first public appearance of the winner of Italy’s Strega Prize, an event tied to the 2026 edition. The official announcement is set for July 8 in Rome’s Piazza del Campidoglio, with the traditional live TV broadcast by RAI, while the winner will meet the public on Saturday, July 11 at 9:30 p.m. at the Giardini della Casa del Podestà in Rocca di Lonato.

Admission is free until seats run out, but ticketing is mandatory via Eventbrite starting Monday, July 6. The winner will speak with Giovanni Sciola, in collaboration with the Fondazione Maria e Goffredo Bellonci and the Strega Prize management.

The six finalists announced on June 3 at the Teatro Romano in Benevento are Michele Mari (*I convitati di pietra*, Einaudi, 280 votes), Matteo Nucci (*Platone. Una storia d’amore*, Feltrinelli, 242), Bianca Pitzorno (*La sonnambula*, Bompiani, 195), Teresa Ciabatti (*Donnaregina*, Mondadori, 184), Alcide Pierantozzi (*Lo sbilico*, Einaudi, 170), and Elena Rui (*Vedove di Camus*, L’orma, 163). For the second round, six books will advance instead of five under a rule that adds the highest-scoring title if the top five do not include at least one title from a mid-to-small publisher.
Italian Version