Corviale Urban Lab

A festival born inside the Serpentone

Corviale Urban Lab is one of the most original cultural experiences in the capital. The festival takes place in the Corviale district, in Rome's Municipio XI, in the heart of the Lazio region. It centers around the residential building designed in the 1970s and universally known as the Serpentone: nearly a kilometer of concrete that, from a symbol of a challenging suburb, has evolved over the years into an open-air laboratory for participatory art. Conceived in 2007 by then-municipal councilor Alessio Conti, the festival is now directed by Giuseppe Casa and organized by Procult, with artistic direction by Scuderie MArteLive.

A deliberately multidisciplinary program

The formula has remained unchanged over the years: blending different artistic languages and encouraging them to interact with the urban landscape. The lineup features theater productions, contemporary dance performances, circus acts, concerts, readings, contemporary art exhibitions, and street art interventions. Alongside the evening shows, a significant part of the program is dedicated to free workshops, designed to directly involve those who live in the neighborhood.

• Improvisational theater and storytelling workshops
• Ceramics, screen printing, and art printing with the Stamperia del Tevere
• Musical instrument construction using recycled materials and percussion workshops
• Eco-friendly crafts: plantable paper, natural cosmetics, creative reuse
• Urban walks to discover the murals and the history of the neighborhood

Festival venues

The festival is inherently itinerant and relies on a network of spaces that already serve as local cultural hubs: the Mitreo Arte Contemporanea, a historic gallery in Corviale; the Piazzetta in Movimento on Via Marino Mazzacurati, the heart of daytime outdoor activities; the Teatro San Raffaele, which typically hosts the headline evening events; as well as the Stamperia del Tevere and the spaces of the Laboratorio di Città Corviale. Past editions have also involved the Centro Polivalente Nicoletta Campanella, the Teatro Arvalia, and the Cavea di Corviale.

Art, community, and urban regeneration

What sets Corviale Urban Lab apart from other Roman events is the intersection of artistic quality and social work. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Roma Capitale and is built each year in collaboration with local associations—from Laboratorio di Città Corviale to Comunità X, and from Associazione Lunatica to Evasione Teatrale—with the declared goal of changing the perspective on the suburbs. Residents are not just an audience: they participate in workshops, open their spaces, and contribute to the success of the evenings.

A space for emerging artists

Thanks to its connection with the MArteLive circuit, the festival also serves as a showcase for emerging artists who find a real stage and an attentive audience here. Each edition alternates between well-known names in Roman live performance and young companies on their first significant experience, often within artistic marathons that condense theater, dance, music, and circus into a single evening.

Why visit

Those arriving in Corviale for the first time discover a side of Rome that does not appear in tourist guides: brutalist architecture, large-format murals, urban gardens, and an intense neighborhood life. The festival is the best opportunity to explore it with a guide, with no ticket required—admission is traditionally free—and the chance to participate rather than just watch. An experience worth the trip even for those staying in the city's historic center.