Ludi Plautini Sarsinates

The conference that brings Plautus home

Few places in Italy can boast such a deep connection with a classical author as Sarsina, a small municipality in the Province of Forlì-Cesena in Emilia-Romagna, nestled in the upper Savio Valley. Here, around 250 BC, Titus Maccius Plautus, the playwright who founded Latin comedy and inspired centuries of European dramaturgy, was born. The Ludi Plautini Sarsinates were created precisely to honor this legacy: an international conference that each year, in autumn, transforms the town into a meeting point for philologists, classicists, directors, and actors from universities and theatres across Europe.

A dialogue between research and stage

The distinctive feature of the Ludi Plautini is the continuous intertwining of scientific research and spectacular dimension. Scholars' papers are not confined to critical analysis; participants are encouraged to accompany their presentations with images, video materials, or performance moments, so that the reflection on Plautus's text comes to life before the audience. It is a way to restore Plautus's theatre to its original nature, made of voice, body, mask, and gesture.

The theme of the 2026 edition

The eighth edition, scheduled for Saturday, October 24, 2026, is dedicated to the theme "From the Theatre of Laughter to the Theatre of Horror: Plautus between Images and Imagination". The conference investigates the Plautine imagination as a set of icons, symbols, and stage narratives, exploring the transition from the comic register to the darker and more disturbing.

Who organizes the Ludi

The event is promoted by the Municipality of Sarsina together with CIISP (International Inter-university Centre for Plautine Studies), the PLAVTVS research centre for Plautine studies, and the University of Urbino Carlo Bo, with the support of the Banca di Credito Cooperativo di Sarsina and the Rotary Club Cesena – Valle del Savio. The Ludi Plautini Sarsinates represent the academic side of the Plautus Festival, the historic classical theatre review that enlivens Sarsina every summer and which in 2026 celebrates its seventieth edition.

Why it's worth participating

• A high-profile conference in the birthplace of Plautus, a unique event in the Emilia-Romagna region;
• Direct interaction between international scholars and classical theatre professionals;
• A program alternating philological papers, screenings, and live performances;
• The opportunity to discover Sarsina, its National Archaeological Museum, and the Roman heritage of the Savio Valley.