The prestigious award will be presented on Monday, September 14, at the monumental Villa delle Ginestre in Torre del Greco.
The prize will be accepted by Countess Olimpia Leopardi, a descendant of the poet from Recanati and Vice President of the CNSL.
Torre del Greco (Naples) – The monumental Villa delle Ginestre—a place close to Leopardi’s heart and central to his memory, situated on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius—will host the award ceremony for the nineteenth edition of the “La Ginestra” Prize on Monday, September 14, 2026, starting at 7:00 PM. This prestigious award stems from a collaboration between the Rotary Club Torre del Greco e Comuni Vesuviani, the Ente Ville Vesuviane Foundation, and the University of Naples “Federico II.”
This literary prize, now a benchmark in the national cultural landscape, has been unanimously awarded this year to the National Center for Leopardi Studies (CNSL) in Recanati. Countess Olimpia Leopardi, a descendant of the poet and Vice President of the CNSL, will accept the award.
The ceremony at Villa delle Ginestre—the Vesuvian residence that hosted Leopardi and preserves the spirit of his famous ode—promises to be an event of the highest cultural and artistic caliber.
The evening, hosted by journalist and literary critic Donatella Trotta, will be enriched by moments of great dramatic and musical intensity. Readings by Fabio Cocifoglia will be accompanied by the music of Gioachino Rossini, performed by a string ensemble featuring violinists Riccardo Zamuner and Alberto Marano, cellist Raffaele Rigliari, and double bassist Gianluigi Pennino. Maestro Giovanni Oliva will provide the introduction to the listening experience and offer artistic guidance.
Established in 1937 to mark the centenary of the poet’s death, the National Center for Leopardi Studies (CNSL) was founded with an ambitious, programmatic mandate: to promote and foster research into the life and works of Giacomo Leopardi, as well as the cultural movements and historical context associated with him. Nearly ninety years later, the record of this extraordinary intellectual journey is decidedly positive. The CNSL has successfully acted as both guardian and driving force behind a comprehensive exploration of Leopardi’s human and intellectual universe, bridging culture and society, past and future, Italy and the world.
Over the decades, the Recanati-based institution—led since 2008 by President Fabio Corvatta—has organized countless international conferences, fostered the dissemination of translations across the globe, and seen the establishment of academic chairs dedicated to Leopardi at major Italian and European universities.
Among its most recent and innovative achievements is the creation of the *Biblioteca Digitale Leopardiana* (Leopardi Digital Library), launched in collaboration with the ICCU, the National Library of Naples, and the University of Macerata. This monumental platform provides access to the poet’s original manuscripts, his annotated volumes, scholarly studies, and iconography, opening an unprecedented window into the writer’s creative process. At a local level, the CNSL has also spearheaded conservation and restoration projects, restoring the famous “Hill of the Infinite” (*Colle dell’Infinito*) to its ancient, enchanting appearance.
EVENT DETAILS:
Event: 19th Edition of the “La Ginestra” Award 2026
Date and Time: September 14, 2026 – 7:00 PM
Venue: Villa delle Ginestre – Torre del Greco (Naples)
Award presented to: National Center for Leopardi Studies (Recanati)
Organizers: Rotary Club Torre del Greco and Vesuvian Municipalities, in collaboration with the Ente Ville Vesuviane Foundation and the University of Naples “Federico II”
Website: premiolaginestra.it
Contributors and Sponsors: Banca di Credito Popolare di Torre del Greco | Rdr S.p.A. Benefit Corporation | Casa Rossa 1888
