Dalla MeMoRiA, la Voce - Living Heritage Festival
Research, listening, and sharing the intangible cultural heritage surrounding the Pacchiana of Minturno and Castelforte
About Living Heritage Festival
A festival dedicated to the living heritage of lower Lazio
"Dalla MeMoRiA, la Voce - Living Heritage Festival" is a newly established cultural project taking place in Castelforte, a village in the province of Latina, in southern Lazio, along the Gulf of Gaeta and the Garigliano valley. The first edition, promoted by the San Marco APS association in co-design with the Municipality of Castelforte, runs from June to October 2026 as a unified process of research, listening, documentation, and public sharing of intangible cultural heritage.
The Pacchiana, the heart of the project
At the center of the festival are two expressions deeply rooted in the collective memory of the territory: the Pacchiana of Minturno and the Pacchiana of Castelforte. These are not viewed merely as traditional garments, but as genuine systems of meaning where language, gesture, ritual, and belonging continue to manifest today. Around this theme, the festival builds a journey that weaves together anthropology, oral history, tailoring crafts, and folk music.
A three-module journey
The festival is structured into three complementary modules. The inaugural module opens the event with a day of study, public discussion, and participatory workshops. The research module, spanning the entire summer, is dedicated to collecting testimonies and audiovisual documentation to create a permanent digital repository of the territory's memory. The sharing module, in autumn, returns the collected materials to the community through performances, music, dance, and a final concert.
Scholars, artisans, and the community
The first edition features anthropologists, oral tradition researchers, master artisans, and representatives of the textile and tailoring world, alongside local associations and folk groups. The project is supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Lazio Region, the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, the Province of Latina, and the Italian Federation of Popular Traditions, demonstrating a commitment that goes beyond the event and aims at the intergenerational transmission of knowledge.
A common good across generations
The guiding idea is that memory should not only be recounted but inhabited, shared, and returned as a common good among generations, communities, and territories. In a village like Castelforte, where the Pacchiana remains an authentic symbol of history and roots, the festival becomes an opportunity for intergenerational dialogue and the promotion of local identity in Lazio.
Living Heritage Festival — edition 2026
The 2026 edition inaugurates the "Dalla MeMoRiA, la Voce" festival in Castelforte, in the province of Latina, with a four-month journey dedicated to the intangible cultural heritage of the territory. After the opening day on June 21, dedicated to a conference and workshops, the summer is devoted to research and documentation, while October 25 and 26 close the journey with the public sharing of the collected materials and a final concert.
Programme Living Heritage Festival 2026
Inaugural module - Sunday, June 21, 2026
- 4:00 PM, Municipal Council Chamber of Castelforte: press conference and conference "The Pacchiana of Minturno and Castelforte. Language, ritual, style, communication", with scholars, anthropologists, master artisans, and local experts involved in the research and transmission of intangible heritage.
- 6:00 PM, San Giovanni Paolo II Municipal Villa: sharing workshops with demonstrations of traditional tailoring techniques, the dressing ritual, the children's workshop "The Colors of Tradition", and spontaneous moments of sharing with traditional songs and dances.
Research module - from June 22 to October 24, 2026
Period dedicated to collecting testimonies and audiovisual documentation to build a permanent digital repository of the territory's memory.
Sharing module - October 25 and 26, 2026
Two days dedicated to the public sharing of the collected materials, with performances, music, dance, and the final concert featuring maestro Paolo Presta.
Highlights Living Heritage Festival 2026
- First edition of a festival entirely dedicated to the intangible cultural heritage of lower Lazio
- Focus on the Pacchiana of Minturno and Castelforte, covering language, ritual, and traditional tailoring
- Conference with anthropologists and master artisans, plus participatory tailoring workshops
- Children's workshop "The Colors of Tradition"
- Final concert with maestro Paolo Presta on October 25-26
- Project supported by MIC, Lazio Region, University of Cassino, Province of Latina, and the Italian Federation of Popular Traditions
Prices Living Heritage Festival 2026
Practical information — Living Heritage Festival
Location
The festival takes place in Castelforte, in the province of Latina (Lazio). The main events are held in the Municipal Council Chamber and the San Giovanni Paolo II Municipal Villa, as well as in other spaces throughout the village.
How to get there
Castelforte is accessible via the A1 motorway (Cassino area exits) and the Via Appia; the reference railway station is Formia-Gaeta, on the Rome-Naples coastal line, with onward road travel towards the interior.
Information
The organization is managed by the San Marco APS association in collaboration with the Municipality of Castelforte. For dates, times, and event details, it is recommended to check the channels of the Municipality and the promoting association.
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Where does it take place — Living Heritage Festival
Sala Consiliare e Villa Comunale San Giovanni Paolo II