Civitafestival (Music, Theatre, Art)

Civitafestival: nearly forty years of live performance

Civitafestival is one of the longest-running live performance festivals in Lazio. Founded in the late 1980s, it has spanned nearly four decades, bringing music, theatre, and dance to the historic centre of Civita Castellana, in the province of Viterbo. Recognised by the Ministry of Culture and held under the patronage of the Municipality of Civita Castellana, the festival weaves together great repertoire and new productions in a programme that enlivens the city every summer for about two weeks, between late August and early September.

The venues: Forte Sangallo and the San Francesco Cloister

The strength of Civitafestival also lies in its choice of venues. Performances are mainly staged in the Main Courtyard of Forte Sangallo, the Renaissance fortress designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger that overlooks the city, and in the intimate San Francesco Cloister. In various editions, these are joined by the Fort's Minor Courtyard and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore, with its famous Cosmatesque facade. These are settings of extraordinary historical and architectural value, turning every evening into an experience that combines performance with heritage.

A multidisciplinary programme

The programming is deliberately varied and spans multiple artistic languages:

• Symphonic and chamber music, with renowned orchestras and soloists;
• Prose theatre, featuring well-known names from the Italian scene;
• Dance and contemporary dance-theatre;
• Opera, jazz, and singer-songwriter music, often in the form of tributes to the great authors of the 20th century.

The artistic direction, entrusted to Fabio Galadini, builds a journey that alternates orchestral concerts, spoken-word performances, and musical productions, with particular attention to the quality of the performers and the dialogue with the venues.

The autumn appendix and the masterclass

In recent years, Civitafestival has extended its activities beyond the summer with an appendix dedicated to training. In 2026, an orchestral conducting masterclass is scheduled, led by Maestro Andrea Foti with Maestro Gianluigi Dettori as assistant, concluding with a final concert conducted by the most deserving students in the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore, accompanied by the Domenico Mazzocchi Orchestra.

A festival for Civita Castellana and Lazio

A city of ceramics by tradition, nestled between the Treja Valley and the hills of the Agro Falisco, Civita Castellana finds in Civitafestival an identity-defining event every summer, capable of attracting audiences from across the Tuscia region and the rest of Lazio. The combination of national-level programming and monumental settings makes the festival one of the most interesting cultural offerings of the Viterbo summer.