Festival des Cabanes at Villa Medici
Ephemeral architecture in the Renaissance gardens of Villa Medici, Rome
About Festival des Cabanes
An architectural laboratory in the gardens of Villa Medici
The Festival des Cabanes is the summer showcase of ephemeral architecture hosted by the French Academy in Rome — Villa Medici, located in the Pinciano district above the Spanish Steps in Rome (Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Lazio). Each year, teams of architects, artists, students, and design schools are invited to build a cabane—a small, temporary structure—and place it within the grassy plots of the Renaissance garden commissioned in the 16th century by Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici.
The result is an unusual visitor trail: you walk among ancient pines, laurel, boxwood, holm oak, and myrtle hedges, encountering at every turn a structure made of wood, steel, brick, ceramic, or recycled materials, always designed to engage with the vegetation and the view of the city. The cabins can be viewed from the outside but are primarily meant to be entered, occupied, and used: they serve as shelters, reading pavilions, and shaded retreats.
The theme: how we will live tomorrow
The festival is more than just an open-air exhibition. Each edition focuses on a very concrete question—how to inhabit a space, how to find shelter from the heat, how to build with limited resources—and asks designers to respond with a real, tangible, and accessible structure. This has led to a recurring focus on local and recycled materials, passive cooling, and nomadic, lightweight architecture—themes that have become the guiding thread of the event in recent years.
Beyond the cabins: the artistic program
A multidisciplinary program accompanies the structures throughout the season:
- Talks and conferences with architects, researchers, philosophers, and scientists on themes of living and ecology;
- Performances, concerts, and evening DJ sets in the gardens;
- Workshops for adults and families (raw earth construction, vocal practices, design workshops);
- Yoga sessions at sunset among the cabins, by reservation;
- The pop-up bookstore set up outdoors with a curated selection of books on art, architecture, and landscape.
The most anticipated moment is the Nuit des Cabanes, a unique evening where the garden stays open until late at night with screenings, readings, dance performances, concerts, and food trucks: it is the perfect opportunity to see the architecture illuminated and experience the villa in an atmosphere completely different from the daytime.
An exceptional historical context
Villa Medici is one of the masterpieces of the Roman Renaissance: purchased by Ferdinando de' Medici in 1576, it has housed the French Academy in Rome since 1803, an institution founded in 1666 that welcomes artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, and researchers in residence every year. Its gardens, with the grove, the parterres, the Loggia of Cleopatra, and the famous belvedere overlooking the Pincio, offer one of the most beautiful views of Rome. The Festival des Cabanes was born from the idea of bringing contemporary creation into contact with this heritage, without ever overshadowing it.
Who is it for?
The festival is designed for architecture and design enthusiasts as well as those simply looking for a walk in the shade in the heart of Rome. The trail is short, suitable for children, and lends itself to being combined with a tour of the villa, current exhibitions, and a break in the gardens during the cooler hours of the day. For Romans, it has become a fixed summer appointment; for visitors to the city, it is a different way to discover the Pincio, far from the crowds of Trinità dei Monti.
Festival des Cabanes — edition 2026
Fifth edition: six cabins among the pines of the Pincio
From May 20 to September 28, 2026, Villa Medici presents the fifth edition of the Festival des Cabanes, featuring six original creations installed in the plots of the Renaissance garden and an artistic program that spans the entire Roman summer.
The six invited teams
- Bento Architecture (Brussels) — Il Duomo Invertito: a reinterpretation of the Roman dome, replaced by the lightness of a suspended structure that offers a cool shelter, animated by light and rain falling through the central oculus.
- ECAL/École cantonale d'art de Lausanne with Mutina — Façade.
- Fondation Huttopia (Lyon) — Creetopia, inspired by the culture of the Cree people, imagining nomadic architecture for contemporary tourism.
- NABA / Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti — Reassembled Views.
- PRÌA and VELIA — Acquifère: located among the orange trees, it utilizes the ability of travertine and porous ceramics to absorb and release water, experimenting with a passive cooling system that works in tandem with shade and natural ventilation.
- salazarsequeromedina (Madrid/Lima/New York) — Cabane 7L, a reading pavilion inspired by the Bird Room of Villa Medici, which also houses the pop-up bookstore Librairie 7L.
Nuit des Cabanes — Habiter Demain
Thursday, June 25, 2026, from 5:00 PM to midnight (last entry 11:30 PM), the gardens remain open for a grand summer party: dance performances, artistic interventions, talks, readings, concerts, and workshops, featuring residents of Villa Medici and international guests. Announced protagonists include the duo Gerard & Kelly, philosopher Baptiste Morizot, sound artist Gaia Ginevra Giorgi, and a final DJ set by Deena Abdelwahed. Food trucks and refreshment points will be on-site.
Yoga among the cabins
From June 1 to July 6, 2026, every Monday from 7:00 PM to 8:15 PM, yoga sessions will take place in the gardens among the ephemeral structures. Reservations are mandatory, and places are limited.
Programme Festival des Cabanes 2026
Cabin trail — from May 20 to September 28, 2026
Open daily except Tuesdays, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Six cabins in the gardens: Il Duomo Invertito (Bento Architecture), Façade (ECAL with Mutina), Creetopia (Fondation Huttopia), Reassembled Views (NABA), Acquifère (PRÌA and VELIA), Cabane 7L (salazarsequeromedina) with the pop-up bookstore Librairie 7L.
Nuit des Cabanes — Habiter Demain
Thursday, June 25, 2026, from 5:00 PM to midnight (last entry 11:30 PM): dance performances, installations and sound performances, architecture talks, readings, a culinary experience dedicated to climate change, raw earth construction and vocal improvisation workshops, concerts, and DJ sets. Announced guests: Gerard & Kelly, Baptiste Morizot, Gaia Ginevra Giorgi, Deena Abdelwahed (closing DJ set). Some events require free advance booking, others are open access until capacity is reached.
Yoga at Villa Medici
From June 1 to July 6, 2026, every Monday from 7:00 PM to 8:15 PM, in the gardens. By reservation.
Other events at Villa Medici in 2026
- Exhibition Oracles Beyond the Sea: from June 19 to September 7, 2026.
- Villa Medici Film Festival: from September 16 to 20, 2026.
Highlights Festival des Cabanes 2026
- Six original ephemeral architectural structures by international firms and schools from Brussels, Lausanne, Lyon, Milan, Madrid, and Rome.
- Il Duomo Invertito: a suspended, lightweight dome, an oasis of shade crossed by light from the oculus.
- Acquifère: passive cooling using travertine and porous ceramics among the orange trees of the garden.
- Cabane 7L: a reading pavilion with the pop-up bookstore Librairie 7L in the heart of the gardens.
- The Nuit des Cabanes — Habiter Demain on June 25, with concerts, performances, and DJ sets until midnight.
- Yoga sessions at sunset and views of the Pincio and Rome from the villa's belvedere.
Prices Festival des Cabanes 2026
Practical information — Festival des Cabanes
How to get there
Villa Medici is located at Viale della Trinità dei Monti 1, in Rome, at the top of the Spanish Steps. Metro A, Spagna stop (5-minute walk) or Flaminio. Numerous bus lines serve Piazzale Flaminio and Via del Tritone. There is no on-site parking: we recommend reaching the villa by public transport or on foot from the city center.
Hours and tickets
The cabin trail is open daily except Tuesdays, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Full price ticket €10, reduced €8, TRIBU rate €2, free for holders of Villa Medici SOLO and DUO cards. Tickets are available online on the official website and at the ticket office at the entrance.
Tips
The best times to visit are early morning and late afternoon, when the garden is cooler and the light over the city is at its most beautiful. Bring water on hot summer days. For yoga sessions and some workshops, reservations are mandatory and places are limited.
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Where does it take place — Festival des Cabanes
Villa Medici — Accademia di Francia a Roma (giardini)
Viale della Trinità dei Monti 1, 00187 Roma