An annual summer appointment for music lovers since 1975, the Festival della Valle d’Itria in Martina Franca is one of Italy’s premier classical music and opera festivals. Performers and audiences come from all over the world, but the atmosphere remains local.

Each year, between the middle of July and the beginning of August, the festival showcases a series of operas (totalling over 100) and other pieces, ranging from the famous to the less well known, and from 16th century works to world premieres and commissions. Performers and audiences come from all over the world, but the atmosphere remains intimate and local.

The operas are generally staged in the delightful surroundings of the Palazzo Ducale in Martina Franca, while orchestral, chamber music and choral concerts take place in a variety of venues around Martina Franca and in neighbouring towns. Recent operas have included Bellini’s Zaira, Verdi’s Joan of Arc, Richard Strauss’s Salomé and Korngold’s Der Ring des Polykrates.

To see what’s on and when, head to www.festivaldellavalleditria.it