Frascati Pride

A Pride born from a washhouse

The Frascati Pride is the newest civil event in the Municipality of Frascati, located in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region. Its first edition, held in June 2026, opted for an unusual and highly successful format: no floats or processions through the city streets, but a cultural hub concentrated in a single symbolic location, the Antico Lavatoio del Matone, in the San Rocco district.

This choice was not accidental. The Via del Matone washhouse is tied to the daily history of the women of Frascati, who gathered there to work and talk: a space defined by its feminine vocation, popular spirit, and shared conversation. Reopening it for an evening dedicated to diversity means acknowledging a continuity between the memory of the local neighborhoods and the demands of today.

Local history and testimonies

The first part of the event is dedicated to storytelling. Art historian Federica Bonuomo offers an interpretation of the Tusculan territory and its roots, while the Donne de Borgata group shares the collective memory of the neighborhood through the female experiences that once filled the washhouse. It is the most intimate moment of the day, anchoring the Pride to the concrete history of the city rather than generic rhetoric.

Following this, Lorenzo Durante, president of Arcigay Castelli Romani, the committee that has been active in the area south of Rome for years, takes the stage. His speech addresses civil rights and the social value of Pride as an opportunity for dialogue and participation, rather than mere protest.

Contemporary art and music

The second half of the evening shifts in tone. Visual artists Zoe Sfc, Alessandra Mandolesi, and Chiara Sirolli exhibit contemporary works within the washhouse, in an installation that interacts with the architecture and the stone. Then comes the music: a live performance by Alakazaraket and a DJ set by Iron Soft, which accompanies the final part of the evening until late.

The setting: the Castelli Romani

Frascati is the gateway to the Castelli Romani, about twenty kilometers from Rome: a city of Tusculan villas, wine cellars, and a culinary tradition that has made its white wine famous. It is also, historically, a cultural reference point for the entire district. The arrival of a Pride here was not a given, and indeed, the President of the City Council Corrado Spagnoli commented that "today Frascati has written a new page in its history with its first Pride."

The event was also attended by municipal councilor Valeria Chiozza and Alfredo Moraci, director of the MUSA — Museo Tuscolano Scuderie Aldobrandini, which granted its patronage to the event along with the Municipality.

Why attend

Frascati Pride is not a massive event, nor does it aim to be. It is a city-scale gathering where you can listen to an art historian, view contemporary works, and dance in the same afternoon, all in a place that most visitors would never have had the chance to see. For those in the Castelli Romani at the end of June, it is a different and more authentic way to connect with the Frascati of today.

• Format: single day, afternoon and evening
• Location: Antico Lavatoio del Matone, San Rocco district
• Spirit: civil rights, female memory, visual arts, music
• First edition: 2026