Feste d'altri tempi

A theatre in the heart of the Bolognese Apennines

The Teatro delle Ariette is one of the most unique venues on the Italian theatre scene: a peasant theatre born on a farm on the hills of Valsamoggia, in the province of Bologna, in the heart of Emilia-Romagna. Here, where the land is cultivated and bread is baked, the company founded by Paola Berselli and Stefano Pasquini stages theatre made of daily life, food, and words. The Feste d'altri tempi review is the spring heart of this experience.

Two unforgettable dates

The event takes place every year on two symbolic dates of the Italian civil calendar: April 25th, Liberation Day, and May 1st, Labour Day. The title "Feste d'altri tempi" is a declared choice: in the face of attempts to downplay certain fundamental dates for the stability of the Republic's Constitution, Le Ariette respond with theatre, memory, and togetherness. Not a rhetorical commemoration, but an authentic celebration made of stories, music, and shared tables.

How a day unfolds

Each day follows the same convivial rhythm: it begins at noon with a storytelling theatre performance, continues at lunchtime with a self-managed popular lunch prepared with local products, and concludes in the afternoon with a second performance or a musical moment. The audience is not just a spectator: they share the meal, the stories, and the time, in a familiar atmosphere that is the hallmark of Le Ariette.

A place, not just a stage

The space is that of a large table of peace set up in nature, among the fields and rural buildings of the farm. The number of seats is limited and booking is mandatory: those who participate become part of a small temporary community for a day. It is a theatre that asks for presence, listening, and a willingness to sit at the table with strangers who, by the end of the day, are no longer strangers.

Why it's worth the trip

In a festival landscape often dominated by large numbers, the Feste d'altri tempi in Valsamoggia represent the exact opposite: few spectators, great intensity. It is the perfect opportunity to discover the Bolognese Apennines, Italian civil theatre, and a form of rural hospitality that smells of freshly baked bread and unforgettable stories.