LETTERATURE - Rome International Festival
The literary festival of Rome Capital at the Palatine Stadium
About Letterature Festival
A major literary festival in the heart of Rome
LETTERATURE - Rome International Festival is one of the most anticipated cultural events of the capital's summer. Promoted by Rome Capital through the Department of Culture and organized by Zètema Progetto Cultura, the festival brings the greatest names in Italian and international fiction and poetry to the Palatine Stadium, within the Colosseum Archaeological Park, every year. The setting is among the most evocative imaginable: readings and performances take place outdoors in the evening, surrounded by the millenary ruins of the Palatine Hill, in the municipality of Rome, Lazio.
«Crossing Borders»: the theme of the 25th edition
The 2026 edition, celebrating twenty-five years of the event, is curated by Silvia Barbagallo and Anna Voltaggio and revolves around the theme «Crossing Borders». It is an invitation to traverse boundaries: geographical and political ones, but also those between literary genres, between private writing and public discourse, and between languages and cultures. Each evening features original texts written specifically by the authors, interviews conducted by journalists and intellectuals, readings by actors, and live music interludes.
Three evenings at the Palatine
The heart of the festival is concentrated in three evenings, each organized around a specific theme:
- Friday, June 19 — «Writing the World. Women and Power Dynamics»
- Saturday, June 20 — «Against the Wind. Stories of Resistance»
- Sunday, June 21 — «Invisible Maps. The Power of Words»
The evenings begin at 9:00 PM, with the Palatine Stadium opening at 8:30 PM. Admission is free until capacity is reached.
Italian and international voices
World-renowned writers and beloved Italian authors take turns on the Palatine stage. The 2026 edition features names such as Emmanuel Carrère, Kiran Desai, Rachel Kushner, Yuri Herrera, Manuel Vilas, Samar Yazbek, Ahmet Altan, and Neige Sinno, alongside Italian voices like Veronica Raimo, Concita De Gregorio, Patrizia Valduga, Zerocalcare, and Fumettibrutti. Readings are performed by actors such as Maria Chiara Giannetta, Gaetano Bruno, Pietro Sermonti, and Neri Marcorè, while live music accompanies every evening.
A city-wide appointment
For over twenty years, Letterature has been much more than a festival: it is a collective ritual that involves the community of readers in Rome and the many tourists visiting the Province of Rome. The formula, which combines great literature, current events, theater, and music in an extraordinary archaeological setting, has made it a model imitated throughout Italy. Free admission, supported by the City, confirms the popular and inclusive vocation of a festival designed to bring everyone closer to the written word.
Letterature Festival — edition 2026
Letterature 2026: «Crossing Borders»
The twenty-five-year anniversary edition chose the theme of crossing borders as its guiding thread, interpreted as traversing geographical, political, linguistic, and gender boundaries. The three evenings at the Palatine alternated original texts written by the authors for the festival, interviews conducted by journalists and intellectuals, readings by actors, and live music moments. The festival was preceded on June 17 by "The Silent Storm," the major collective reading event conceived by Alessandro Baricco.
Programme Letterature Festival 2026
The 2026 Program
Pre-opening event — Wednesday, June 17
«The Silent Storm», the collective reading project conceived by Alessandro Baricco: Rome reads simultaneously in numerous locations across the city, with the final reading performed by Isabella Ragonese.
Friday, June 19 — «Writing the World. Women and Power Dynamics»
Hosted by Marino Sinibaldi, music by Chiara Civello, readings by Maria Chiara Giannetta. Guests: Concita De Gregorio (original text), Rachel Kushner (interview), Patrizia Valduga (original text), Neige Sinno (in dialogue with Rosella Postorino), and Fumettibrutti (live drawing).
Saturday, June 20 — «Against the Wind. Stories of Resistance»
Hosted by Eva Giovannini, music by Gabriele Coen and Ziad Trabelsi, readings by Maria Chiara Giannetta. Initial tribute to Marjane Satrapi. Guests: Widad Tamimi, Ahmet Altan, Pietro Sermonti (reading of Rodolfo Walsh's open letter), Samar Yazbek, Zerocalcare (with his first prose-only text), Yaryna Grusha, and Vera Politkovskaja.
Sunday, June 21 — «Invisible Maps. The Power of Words»
Hosted by Pegah Moshir Pour, music by Erica Mou, readings by Gaetano Bruno and Neri Marcorè. Guests: Manuel Vilas, Emmanuel Carrère, Veronica Raimo, Yuri Herrera, and Kiran Desai.
An extra event was held on July 18 at the Idroscalo in Ostia, in collaboration with the Puntasacra Film Fest.
Highlights Letterature Festival 2026
- 25th edition, celebrating twenty-five years of the festival, with the theme «Crossing Borders»
- «The Silent Storm» by Alessandro Baricco, a collective city-wide reading (June 17)
- Great international guests: Emmanuel Carrère, Kiran Desai, Rachel Kushner, Yuri Herrera, Samar Yazbek, Ahmet Altan
- Zerocalcare's first prose-only text
- Tribute to Marjane Satrapi
- Free admission to the Palatine Stadium, in the Colosseum Archaeological Park
Prices Letterature Festival 2026
Practical information — Letterature Festival
Location
Palatine Stadium, inside the Colosseum Archaeological Park, Rome (Lazio). Entrances from the Palatine with access indicated by the organization.
How to get there
Metro: Line B, Colosseo stop, a few minutes' walk away. Bus: Numerous lines stop near the Colosseum and Via dei Fori Imperiali. We recommend reaching the city center by public transport, given the difficulty of parking in the archaeological area.
Hours and admission
Palatine Stadium opens at 8:30 PM, readings begin at 9:00 PM. Admission is free until capacity is reached. We recommend arriving well in advance.
Information
Call 06 0608 or visit the website culture.roma.it/festivaldelleletterature.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Noticed an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every proposal is verified by our team before publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Where does it take place — Letterature Festival
Stadio Palatino, Parco Archeologico del Colosseo
Via di San Gregorio, 00186 Roma