Ad Arte Festival
Live theatre and music in the medieval village of Proceno
About Ad Arte
A border festival, between Lazio and Tuscany
Proceno is the last municipality in Lazio before reaching Tuscany: a village of a few hundred inhabitants perched above the Val di Paglia, in the province of Viterbo, where the Via Francigena descends towards Acquapendente. It is here, in the courtyard and halls of Palazzo Guido Ascanio Sforza, that Ad Arte Festival takes place every summer, a festival dedicated to emerging, independent, and contemporary theatre of national significance.
The event is conceived and organized by the Dillinger Cultural Association, active since 2008, under the artistic direction of Igor Mattei and Marina Biondi. This is not a festival of massive crowds or big television names: its gamble is exactly the opposite, bringing programming that would be confined to off-circuits in big cities to a so-called marginal location.
From Calcata to Proceno: a story in motion
Ad Arte was born in 2014 in Calcata, in the Treja Valley, where for five editions it transformed the village's alleys and squares into a large, widespread stage featuring independent theatre and cinema. Each edition carries a thematic title that guides its selection: «In direzione ostinata e contraria» (2014), «Diversi si nasce» (2015), «Eretico» (2016).
After a break, in 2023 the festival restarted in a new location, Proceno, with its 6th edition titled «Lìmen» — the threshold, the limit, the starting point: a title that simultaneously described the village's geographical position as the gateway to Lazio and the rebirth of the festival itself. The 7th edition, in 2026, confirms Proceno as the festival's home.
Eudaimonia, the 2026 theme
The 2026 edition is titled «Eudaimonia», from the Greek eu (good) and daimōn (guiding spirit): the Aristotelian concept indicating the full flourishing of the human being, not momentary happiness but the realization of one's nature through virtue, awareness, and action. The artistic direction interprets this idea in a collective key: the festival as a space where theatre and music become practices of growth, encounter, and transformation.
How an evening is structured
The structure is simple and recognizable, working well for those arriving from out of town:
- 9:00 PM — the theatrical performance, the heart of the evening, always a different production;
- 10:30 PM — the live concert, with free admission, which extends the evening and the dialogue with the audience.
The musical section is deliberately eclectic: in 2026, it ranges from Brazilian bossa nova to Italian swing, from Iberian guitar duos to Celtic folk, and the sounds of Brazil. The audience remains in the palace courtyard, and the evening flows naturally from theatre to music without any need to move.
The palace and the village
Palazzo Guido Ascanio Sforza, on Corso Regina Margherita, is the most important building in Proceno and provides the festival with a setting that is worth the trip in itself: 16th-century architecture, an internal courtyard, and a panoramic terrace overlooking the valley. Around it, the village offers its artisan workshops and the gastronomy of the Tuscia region — olive oil, legumes, pecorino cheese, and the traditional 'cucina povera' of Upper Tuscia.
Why it's worth it
Ad Arte is a festival to recommend to those looking for something different in August, away from the crowded major festivals of Lazio. You arrive in a quiet village, attend a research-based performance in a Renaissance courtyard, and stay to listen to music under the stars. The scale is intimate, seating is limited, and the contact with the artists is direct. It is the kind of evening that makes slow tourism in the province of Viterbo something more than just a day trip.
Ad Arte — edition 2026
«Eudaimonia»: the 7th edition
From July 31st to August 7th, 2026, Ad Arte Festival returns to Proceno, in the province of Viterbo, for its seventh edition and the second in the Upper Tuscia village. The title chosen by the artistic directors Igor Mattei and Marina Biondi is «Eudaimonia», the Aristotelian term indicating the full flourishing of the human being through virtue and conscious action.
The question running through the entire program is clear: what role can art play in building a full life? The festival is presented as a space for collective eudaimonia, where theatre and music are not just entertainment but practices of growth and encounter.
As in recent editions, the evening structure is twofold: at 9:00 PM the theatre performance, at 10:30 PM the live concert that extends the dialogue with the audience beyond the stage. All events are held at Palazzo Guido Ascanio Sforza, at Corso Regina Margherita 2.
Programme Ad Arte 2026
Friday, July 31st
- 9:00 PM — «Su tutte le furie», by and with Giuditta Cambieri
- 10:30 PM — Bossa Nova meets Italy, with Chico Miceli and Marco D'Anelli
Sunday, August 2nd
- 9:00 PM — «Alfonsina Panciavuota», with Fabio Marceddu and Antonello Murgia
- 10:30 PM — Blue 42 Trio, Italian swing with Valeria Paci, Maurizio Chiani and Daniele Carlani
Monday, August 3rd
- 9:00 PM — «Framǝ», directed by Lisa Rosamilia, on the figures of Penelope, Alda Merini and Frida Kahlo
- 10:30 PM — Locura de Guitarras Duo, with Riccardo Ascani and Roberto Ippoliti
Tuesday, August 4th
- 9:00 PM — «Storia di Anna la Pazza», with Marco Valeri
- 10:30 PM — Triskell Celtic Folk Trio
Wednesday, August 5th
- 9:00 PM — «Santa Smeralda», with Smeralda Capizzi
- 10:30 PM — The Empress Spell, with Ilenia Appicciafuoco and Antonio Gambacorta
Thursday, August 6th
- 9:00 PM — «'O Mistero Buffo», after Dario Fo and Franca Rame, with Nicola Mariconda
- 10:30 PM — Sīrēn, with Maria Gerarda Cavezza, Carmen Mariconda and Alessandro Arcella
Friday, August 7th
- 9:00 PM — «Favole Insostenibili», with Giorgio Cardinali and Caterina Mannello
- 10:30 PM — Coletivo Beija Flor, with Livia Clemente, Giovanni Belia, Alessandro Amato and Gianluigi Capone
All events take place at Palazzo Guido Ascanio Sforza, Corso Regina Margherita 2, Proceno (VT). Program subject to possible changes: it is recommended to check with the organizers.
Highlights Ad Arte 2026
- «'O Mistero Buffo» (Thursday, August 6th): the rewriting of the masterpiece by Dario Fo and Franca Rame performed by Nicola Mariconda, the most anticipated event of the week.
- «Framǝ» (Monday, August 3rd): three female figures — Penelope, Alda Merini, Frida Kahlo — directed by Lisa Rosamilia.
- The free 10:30 PM concerts: seven very different musical evenings, from the bossa nova of Chico Miceli to the swing of Blue 42, from the Celtic folk of Triskell to the Brazilian sounds of Coletivo Beija Flor.
- The setting of Palazzo Sforza: attending performances in the courtyard of the 16th-century palace, with the terrace overlooking the valley.
- The «Eudaimonia» theme: a clear guiding thread that links all the performances, rare in festivals of this size.
Prices Ad Arte 2026
Practical information — Ad Arte
Where it takes place
Palazzo Guido Ascanio Sforza, Corso Regina Margherita 2, 01020 Proceno (VT), Lazio. All performances and concerts are held at the same venue.
How to get there
By car: A1 Milan-Naples motorway, Orvieto exit, then towards Acquapendente and Proceno (approx. 25 km). By train: Orvieto station on the Florence-Rome line, then bus or taxi towards Acquapendente and Proceno.
Schedule
Theatre performance at 9:00 PM; concert at 10:30 PM. Box office open from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM on performance days; booked tickets must be collected by 8:30 PM and in any case within thirty minutes of the start.
Admission
The 10:30 PM concerts are free of charge. For the 9:00 PM theatre performances, booking is recommended due to the limited capacity of the palace.
Contacts and bookings
Phone +39 377 530 5226 or +39 347 7327201 — email [email protected].
Tips
Outdoor evenings in the hills can be chilly even in August: bring a light sweater. For accommodation, the best options are in Acquapendente, San Lorenzo Nuovo, and on Lake Bolsena, all less than half an hour's drive away.
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Where does it take place — Ad Arte
Palazzo Guido Ascanio Sforza
Corso Regina Margherita 2, 01020 Proceno