Calendar 2026

How to read the calendar

Each row represents a species. Each column is a week, from the third week of April (col. 17) to the fourth week of July (col. 28). The colour intensity indicates the estimated share of fields in which the species is dominant that week: empty = absent, fully saturated = widespread, ★ = the species' absolute peak.

The data is based on a 13-season historical series (2013–2025) compiled from direct observation, dated photographs and reports from the lentil growers. The 2026 calendar is an estimate: the timing of the snowmelt can shift the peak a week either way.

The three phases of the season

Phase 1 · Opening (17 Apr → 7 Jun)

It begins with the early wild flowers (anemones, violets, primroses) on the border meadows and the daffodils along the Fosso dei Mergani. In late May the wild peonies burst out on the rocky side slopes. The fields are still mostly green, the plateau is quiet, access is free.

Phase 2 · Absolute peak (8 Jun → 12 Jul)

All the summer species come into play. The wild mustard opens with yellow, followed by the poppies (red, peaking between 20 Jun and 5 Jul), the lentil in bloom (violet-white, peaking in late June) and the cornflowers (blue, peaking in early July). Venus's looking-glass adds discreet violet lines. It is in this phase that the Pian Grande becomes the mosaic of colour for which it is famous. Four regulated weekends.

Phase 3 · Closing (13 Jul → 28 Jul)

The summer species fade in sequence. What remains are the yellows of the mustard and the last late poppies. The lentil moves into pod-setting. The Pian Grande shifts to the green-yellow of ripe fields, with warm tones at sunset. Numbers falling, perfect for anyone after a rarefied atmosphere.

Notable colour events

• 22 May 2026: peak of the daffodils along the Fosso dei Mergani
• 5 June 2026: peak of the wild peonies, side valley north of Castelluccio
• 20 June 2026: the first sweeps of poppy across the central Pian Grande
• 27 June 2026: peak of the lentil in bloom · violet-white across the whole plain
• 1 July 2026: maximum colour peak · poppy + cornflower + lentil + mustard combined
• 8 July 2026: peak of the cornflowers · blue lines across the Pian Grande
• 15 July 2026: end of the peak · transition to the yellows

Reliability of the estimate

The calendar is based on a moving average of the last 13 seasons, with a +1.5% annual advance factor linked to climate change (flowerings are coming earlier by an average of 1.5 days a year compared with the 1990–2010 period).

The sources are: direct observations from the consortium's lentil growers (Consorzio della Lenticchia di Castelluccio IGP), phenological monitoring by the Monti Sibillini National Park, the photographic archive of the castelluccio.org ecosystem (2016–2025) and on-the-ground reporting by Marco Petrini from 13 June 2026.