IN-Philosophy Festival 2026: the philosophy festival in Ischia in September
Twelve editions on, and the philosophy at this festival steps out of the lecture hall to engage with the island and the sea.
For the whole month of September, Ischia becomes the place where thought meets landscape, the sea and the community.
The twelfth edition of the international philosophy festival IN-Philosophy Festival — for years known as La Filosofia, il Castello e la Torre — turns Ischia into a space where thought meets reality, from 1 to 27 September 2026. This year's theme is "Freedom. Can we be free together?" — a question the festival poses not as academia, but as a public space open to everyone.
What the festival is
It isn't a conference with limited seats. It's an event spread across the island where philosophy engages with politics, education, psychology, the arts and everyday life. Over eighty free-entry talks alternate across the four halls of Villa La Colombaia on the two peak days, Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September. Exhibitions, concerts, workshops and musical moments fill the other days of the month, turning public spaces into a contemporary agora. Anyone who wants to listen to a philosopher, a scholar, an artist talking about freedom — individual, collective, political, mental — has immediate access.
The festival's venues
The festival isn't held in a conference hall. It takes place in the Giardini La Mortella, one of the most extraordinary gardens in the Mediterranean; at the Castello Aragonese, the island's symbol; and at Villa La Colombaia, the festival's heart. These spaces, rich in history and beauty, aren't a passive backdrop: they're part of the conversation. Listening to a keynote lecture at sunset over the Castello, or a concert among the trees of La Mortella, changes the meaning of the words you hear.
Who's speaking
The protagonists are philosophers, scholars and figures from contemporary culture. Among those expected are Stefano Petrucciani, from Sapienza University of Rome, who opens the festival with the keynote lecture "The three faces of freedom"; Donatella Di Cesare, taking part in the conversation at the Castello Aragonese; Giuseppe Giordano, from the University of Messina, on Benedetto Croce; and also Giuseppe Ferraro and Davide Monaco, up to the closing lecture by Silvano Petrosino on the anthropology of freedom. There are over a hundred events on the programme: if you arrive with a question in mind, you'll find someone willing to think it through with you.
For those visiting Ischia
If you're on Ischia for the sea and beaches, the festival is a pleasant backdrop you can simply ignore. If you've come to walk between Monte Epomeo and the villages, the festival adds a layer of meaning: the spaces you visit during the day take on a new resonance when thought inhabits them. If you've come to sit still and listen, the festival is the reason for the trip.
September is the month when the island empties of weekend tourists but stays warm and alive. The festival makes the most of this window: a smaller, more intentional community, public spaces open to dialogue, the sea still warm and accessible between one event and the next.
Practical information: what's free and what needs booking
Most of the festival is free and requires no booking: the talks at Villa La Colombaia, Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September from 9:30am to 6:00pm, are held in four conference halls in Italian and English and are free entry. You just show up and go in.
The evening events are the exception:
- 18 September, 8:30pm — Castello Aragonese, Cattedrale dell'Assunta. Conversation with Donatella Di Cesare, hosted by Raffaele Mirelli. Entry €8, booking mandatory via Eventbrite.
- 23 September, 8:00pm — Giardini La Mortella, Forio. Concert with music by Mendelssohn, Rossini and Prokofiev, with R. Cardaropoli on cello and L. Cozzolino on piano, marking the centenary of the birth of Lady Susana Walton. Free, booking mandatory at info@lamortella.org.
- 24 September, 7:15pm — Giardini La Mortella, Forio. Festival opening and keynote lecture "The three faces of freedom" by Stefano Petrucciani. Free, booking mandatory at info@lamortella.org.
- 26 September, 8:30pm — Amphitheatre of Villa La Colombaia, Forio. Keynote lecture "Anthropology of freedom" by Silvano Petrosino. Free, booking mandatory at info@inphilosophyfestival.it.
Spots at the booked evening events are limited: it's worth writing in or securing your ticket a few days ahead. The full day-by-day programme is on the festival's website.
Frequently asked questions
When does the IN-Philosophy Festival 2026 take place?
From 1 to 27 September 2026. It's the twelfth edition of Ischia and Naples' international philosophy festival, for years known as La Filosofia, il Castello e la Torre.
What's this year's theme?
"Freedom. Can we be free together?" — a question the festival poses as a public space for reflection, not as an academic stance.
How much does it cost to take part?
Almost everything is free. The over eighty talks at Villa La Colombaia, on 25 and 26 September, are free entry, with no ticket or registration needed. Only one event is paid: the conversation with Donatella Di Cesare at the Castello Aragonese on 18 September, €8 with mandatory booking via Eventbrite. The concert and the two keynote lectures at Giardini La Mortella (23 and 24 September) and at Villa La Colombaia (26 September) are free, but require booking by email.
Where are the events held?
At the Giardini La Mortella, the Castello Aragonese and Villa La Colombaia. These symbolic spaces of the island aren't just a backdrop, but part of the festival experience.
How many talks and events are there?
Over eighty talks across the two days at Villa La Colombaia, plus exhibitions, concerts, workshops and keynote lectures spread across the whole month. The highest concentration is in the weekend of 25-26 September.
Do you need to book?
Not for the daytime talks, you can enter freely. For the evening events, yes: the concert on 23 September and the lecture on 24 at Giardini La Mortella are booked by writing to info@lamortella.org; the lecture on 26 September at Villa La Colombaia at info@inphilosophyfestival.it; the evening with Donatella Di Cesare at the Castello Aragonese is booked via Eventbrite, from the inphilosophyfestival.it/eventi page. Spots are limited, so it's best to book a few days ahead.
