Geothermal Hills Festival

A festival spread across the Tuscan hills

The Geothermal Hills Festival is one of the most original theatre festivals in Tuscany, capable of transforming the small villages of the Metalliferous Hills into open-air stages. Recognized by the Ministry of Culture as a festival of national significance, the event is organized by Officine Papage and takes place across five municipalities straddling the provinces of Pisa and Grosseto: Pomarance, Castelnuovo Val di Cecina, Monteverdi Marittimo, Monterotondo Marittimo, and Montieri. The artistic direction is led by Marco Pasquinucci, with organizational direction by Annastella Giannelli.

The theme of the 2026 edition: The Beauty of the Margins

The fifteenth edition, scheduled from May 14 to July 11, 2026, revolves around the theme The Beauty of the Margins: a poetic reflection on marginal territories, geographical and human peripheries, and the creative force that emerges at the borders. The program includes 44 events, with six world premieres and four national previews, and dedicates special space to artists under 35 and inclusion, featuring deaf performers and people with disabilities among the protagonists.

Events in Monteverdi Marittimo

In the municipality of Monteverdi Marittimo, the festival offers a journey that weaves together theatre for families and contemporary research, between the Multipurpose Hall, the historic village, and the main square:

• May 18 — In compagnia dell'Ape Sunny, a family show at the Multipurpose Hall (performances at 10:00 AM and 10:50 AM)
• June 26, 5:00 PM — L'Imbarazzo dell'Infinito in the historic village
• June 26, 9:30 PM — I'm Looking For by Oscar De Summa, national preview, in Piazza della Chiesa
• June 27-28 — Workshop led by Oscar De Summa at the Multipurpose Hall
• August 5, 9:30 PM — Shakespeare & Me by Andrea Pennacchi, special event at the Scirea Sports Field

A lineup of major names

In addition to the Monteverdi events, the 2026 edition brings leading artists of the Italian theatre scene to the geothermal hills: Stefano Massini with La ricerca della felicità in Pomarance, Mauro Pescio with Malamente in Montieri, Valentina Dal Mas with Luisa, and the closing show by Luca Radaelli, In capo al mondo. Viaggio con Walter Bonatti in Castelnuovo Val di Cecina.

Theatre, landscape, and geothermal energy

The strength of the festival lies in the deep bond between performance and landscape: the events animate squares, villages, halls, and natural spaces in a territory marked by geothermal energy and home to the National Technological and Archaeological Park of the Metalliferous Hills, recognized as a UNESCO Global Geopark. Attending a show in Monteverdi Marittimo means experiencing the most authentic side of Tuscany, far from mass tourism routes, in a continuous dialogue between art, community, and nature.