Le Stagioni della Poesia — National Poetry Theatre Festival (Rome leg)

A national festival born in Rome

In 2026, Le Stagioni della Poesia makes its debut, the first National Poetry Theatre Festival, a project conceived by poet Davide Rondoni alongside David Riondino and supported by the Centre for Books and Reading (Cepell), with the promotion of the Donnafugata 2000 Cultural Association. The core idea is clear: to restore the poetic word to its original dimension of voice, sound, and collective ritual, bringing it back to the heart of the Italian theatrical scene. The festival chooses Rome, capital of the Lazio region, for its inaugural evening before branching out into a network of stops across the entire peninsula.

The debut at VIVE

The two Roman evenings are held at the VIVE — Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia, in Piazza Venezia, in the monumental heart of the Municipality of Rome. The choice of venue is no coincidence: the performances engage with the exhibition dedicated to the Maddalena by Piero di Cosimo, hosted in the same rooms, transforming a landmark of national heritage into a stage for spoken-word poetry.

The two performances

The Roman program features two original festival productions:

• May 29, 2026 — «Maddalena c'est moi»: text by Davide Rondoni, featuring Iaia Forte on stage with live music by Danilo Rossi. A poetic and theatrical portrait that intertwines the female figure, art, and the word.
• June 5, 2026 — «Cantami qualcosa pari alla vita»: written and performed by Davide Rondoni with Federica Stagni and Virgilio Volante, on stage at 7:00 PM at Palazzo Venezia.

From Rome to a national network

The capital's leg is just the beginning of a wider journey. After Rome, Le Stagioni della Poesia will visit L'Aquila (with the Cantieri dell'Immaginario in July), Milan (at the Teatro degli Angeli in September), Matera (as part of the Fantastico Medioevo Festival), and concludes in Ragusa, at the Teatro Donnafugata, on October 23. A calendar that traverses Italy from north to south, making theatrical poetry an itinerant and shared language.

Why it's worth it

For lovers of words and theatre, this first edition is a rare opportunity: to listen to poetry not on the page but through the voices of the performers, in a unique setting like the VIVE at Palazzo Venezia. A debut that marks the birth of an event destined to grow and become a reference point for poetry theatre in Italy.