Il senso di un paese - Anthropological and Social Festival of Good Living

A festival of good living in the heart of Tuscia

In the medieval village of Barbarano Romano, in the province of Viterbo, «Il senso di un paese» is much more than a simple event: it is an anthropological and social festival of good living, created by director Gianfranco Pannone and promoted by the Municipality of Barbarano Romano in collaboration with the Marturanum Regional Park and the Barbarano Cultura association. Every year, for a long weekend, the village squares and halls become an open-air agora where cinema, music, literature, and nature intertwine.

Cinema, roots, and community

The festival focuses on the theme of roots and the relationship between small towns and their environment. The arts, particularly documentary cinema, serve as a tool for civic renewal and intergenerational dialogue: auteur film screenings, meetings with directors and scholars, concerts, nature walks, and tastings tell the story of an Italy that refuses to succumb to depopulation.

• Screenings and retrospectives of Italian cinema
• Meetings with directors, writers, and researchers
• Concerts, folk music, and theatrical performances
• Archaeological and nature walks in the Marturanum Park

The village and the Marturanum Regional Park

Barbarano Romano is a small town in the Lazio region nestled within the Marturanum Regional Park, a protected area rich in Etruscan necropolises and trails through the Mediterranean scrub. The setting, among medieval streets, the Sala Sant'Angelo, and the nearby San Giuliano archaeological site, gives the festival a unique character, where historical heritage and natural landscape are integral parts of the narrative.

A choral story that grows every year

Now in its seventh edition in 2025, «Il senso di un paese» has attracted major names in Italian cinema, from Marco Bellocchio to Marco Müller, while maintaining an intimate and participatory soul linked to the Tuscia Viterbese community. An event designed for those who believe that culture can truly be a driving force for a good life in local territories.