Con-versi-amo con il mondo – International Poetry Festival

A bridge of words between Emilia-Romagna and the world

Con-versi-amo con il mondo is the international poetry festival that enlivens Castel Maggiore, a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Bologna in Emilia-Romagna, every spring. The event was born from a simple and generous idea: to use poetry as a common language to bring different cultures closer, inviting a guest country each year to engage with the Italian lyrical tradition.

The festival is promoted by the Municipality of Castel Maggiore and the Unione Reno Galliera, organized by AUSER Bologna in collaboration with PAS – Parco del Sapere Ginzburg and the "L'Isola del Tesoro" Reading Centre. Artistic direction is entrusted to the poet and cultural promoter Claudia Piccinno, who each year builds a program of readings, dialogues, and convivial moments capable of weaving together national and international voices.

A guest country each year

The distinctive feature of Con-versi-amo con il mondo is intercultural dialogue. The first edition in 2024 featured Turkey as the guest country; in 2025, the spotlight shifted to Serbia and North Macedonia; the 2026 edition brought the voices of Albania and Kosovo to Castel Maggiore. Each year, foreign poets engage with Italian authors in bilingual meetings, creating a mosaic of different languages and sensibilities.

An event spread across the territory

The festival is not concentrated in a single venue but spans several symbolic locations in Castel Maggiore: the PAS – Parco del Sapere Ginzburg with the Cutuli hall, the Biagi D'Antona Theatre, the Sandro Pertini Social Centre for the "A tavola con i poeti" (Dinner with the Poets) convivial event, and the L'Isola del Tesoro Reading Centre in the hamlet of Trebbo di Reno. This itinerant choice makes poetry accessible and rooted in the community's fabric.

Who is it for

Designed for an adult audience but open to all, Con-versi-amo con il mondo is a valuable event for lovers of contemporary poetry and cultural exchange. Admission is free to all events, confirming the project's popular and inclusive vocation, which makes Castel Maggiore a small international crossroads of verses and voices.