Festival of Peace – Rome & Castelli Romani
Four days of international choral singing between the historic churches of Rome and the villages of the Castelli Romani
About Festival of Peace
A choral festival uniting Rome and the Castelli Romani
The Festival of Peace – Rome & Castelli Romani is an international choral festival held in spring between the Municipality of Rome and the villages of the Castelli Romani, in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Lazio. For four days, amateur and semi-professional choirs from various countries gather to sing alongside local Italian choral groups in a program that alternates between public concerts, liturgical moments, and opportunities for musicians to meet.
The initiative is organized by Music Contact International, an operator specializing in tours and festivals for choirs, bands, and orchestras, at the invitation of the Castelli Romani musical association that hosts the foreign guests. The guiding idea is clear from the name itself: choral music as a shared language, capable of building respect and understanding between different cultures.
The venues: from Roman basilicas to hillside villages
The festival's formula plays on the contrast between the two settings. On one side, Rome, with its network of historic churches featuring generous acoustics, where the main concert series is held; on the other, the Castelli Romani, the area of volcanic hills southeast of the Capital, dotted with villages overlooking the lakes of Albano and Nemi, vineyards, and papal residences. This is where the choirs stay and where the more informal moments of the event take place.
- Church concerts in Rome: ensembles take turns performing in a historic city-center church, open to the public.
- Sunday liturgical service: each choir is invited to sing in a parish in the Castelli Romani, welcomed by the local community; those who request it may apply to sing during a mass at St. Peter's Basilica.
- Closing concert: held in a theatre in the Castelli Romani, with the participation of an Italian musical ensemble and a final convivial dinner.
Castel Gandolfo and the surrounding area
The program also includes a day dedicated to discovering the region, with a visit to Castel Gandolfo, the village overlooking Lake Albano known as the "Pope's city" for its historic papal summer residence, and a friendship concert with local choirs. This is the feature that distinguishes this festival from more competitive events: there are no juries or rankings, but a path of mutual hospitality between those arriving from afar and the Castelli communities.
Who can participate
The Festival of Peace is aimed at choirs of all ages and backgrounds—sacred and parish choirs, school and university choirs, mixed or equal-voice choirs—that come to Lazio as part of a study and concert tour. Participation is by invitation and requires registration through the organizer, who handles logistics, rehearsal rooms, accommodation, and permits for performances in churches. Local audiences, meanwhile, can freely attend the concerts according to the arrangements established by the host venues.
Why it's worth the trip
For those living in Rome or the Castelli, the festival is an opportunity to listen to very different choral repertoires in just a few days—from sacred polyphony to gospel, from folk repertoires to contemporary arrangements—in places that rarely host live music. For visiting choirs, it is an encounter with the Italian musical tradition, which has some of its oldest roots in the churches of Lazio.
Festival of Peace — edition 2026
Festival of Peace 2026
The 2026 edition was held from Thursday, March 19 to Sunday, March 22, 2026, with groups departing on Monday the 23rd. Guest choirs arrived in Lazio on Thursday the 19th, welcomed by a guided panoramic tour of Rome — Roman Forum, Colosseum, St. Peter's Basilica — before transferring to hotels in the Castelli Romani.
Friday was dedicated to discovering the area, with a visit to Castel Gandolfo overlooking Lake Albano and a friendship concert with local choirs, followed by a convivial dinner. On Saturday the 21st, groups returned to Rome for free time in the city and, in the evening, for the festival's concert series in a historic church in the Capital, with ensembles alternating on stage before the public.
On Sunday the 22nd, each choir was welcomed into a parish of the Castelli Romani to sing during the service, with the possibility — upon request and subject to authorization — of performing during a mass at St. Peter's Basilica. The event concluded that same evening with the final concert in a Castelli Romani theatre, enriched by the participation of an Italian musical ensemble, and a farewell dinner.
Programme Festival of Peace 2026
Thursday, March 19, 2026 — Arrival and Opening
- Arrival of choirs in Lazio and guided panoramic tour of Rome: Roman Forum, Colosseum, St. Peter's Basilica, and Vatican City
- Transfer and accommodation in Castelli Romani hotels
Friday, March 20, 2026 — Castelli Romani Day
- Visit to the Castelli Romani area, with a stop at Castel Gandolfo on Lake Albano
- Friendship concert with local choirs and group dinner at the hotel
Saturday, March 21, 2026 — Concerts in Rome
- Transfer to Rome and free time in the city
- Evening: Festival concert series in a historic church in Rome, with ensembles alternating before the public
Sunday, March 22, 2026 — Liturgy and Final Concert
- Singing during the service in a Castelli Romani parish, hosted by the local community (alternatively, upon request, participation in Holy Mass at St. Peter's Basilica)
- Evening: Final concert of the Festival of Peace in a Castelli Romani theatre, with the participation of an Italian musical ensemble, followed by a farewell dinner
Monday, March 23, 2026
- Departure of groups or extension of stay in Italy
Highlights Festival of Peace 2026
- Series of choral concerts in a historic church in Rome's city center
- Possibility, upon request, to sing during Holy Mass at St. Peter's Basilica
- Friendship concert with Castelli Romani choirs after visiting Castel Gandolfo
- Closing concert in a Castelli Romani theatre with an Italian musical ensemble
- Sunday liturgical singing in the hillside village parishes
Prices Festival of Peace 2026
Practical information — Festival of Peace
Getting there
The Castelli Romani can be reached from Rome in about 40 minutes by car along the Via Appia or Via Tuscolana. By train, the FL4 regional lines connect Rome Termini to Frascati, Castel Gandolfo, Albano Laziale, and Velletri. The reference airports are Rome Fiumicino and Rome Ciampino, the latter being just a few kilometers from the area.
Tickets
The festival concerts are held in local churches and theatres: admission for the local public is generally free or by donation, according to the host venues' policies. Choir participation is by package registration through the organizer.
Tips
March in the Castelli Romani is cool and rainy: it is advisable to bring layered clothing for traveling between Rome and the hills. For those staying a few extra days, the area offers the fraschette of Ariccia, Lake Nemi, and the gardens of Villa Aldobrandini in Frascati.
Information
Program and registration details are available on the website of the organizer, Music Contact International.
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Where does it take place — Festival of Peace
Chiese storiche di Roma e teatri dei Castelli Romani