MemoFest — Memory Festival

A festival dedicated to memory in Versilia

MemoFest is the first and only Italian festival entirely dedicated to memory in its many forms: history, music, theatre, journalism, and current affairs. It takes place every summer in Seravezza, in the province of Lucca, in the heart of the Tuscan Versilia, and has chosen the monumental Palazzo Mediceo as its home—a 16th-century residence commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici and now recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site within the serial site of the Medici Villas and Gardens of Tuscany.

Memory as a common good

Founded in 2015 by the cultural association Il Giardino delle Parole, with the patronage of the Municipality of Seravezza and the support of the Fondazione Terre Medicee, MemoFest invites the public every year to reflect on the role of memory as a tool for awareness and citizenship. The festival weaves together the remembrance of major historical events—particularly those related to the Gothic Line and the Second World War, which swept through these mountains—with the most pressing current issues, from civil rights to the pursuit of truth.

What to expect

Each edition's programme alternates between various high-profile events:

• Meetings and debates with journalists, writers, and key figures in Italian current affairs;
• Theatrical performances and staged readings in the courtyard of the Palazzo Mediceo;
• Evening concerts with artists and singer-songwriters;
• The Memory Walk, a guided excursion along the paths of the Gothic Line;
• Book presentations and tributes to figures dear to the culture of Versilia.

A summer appointment in Versilia

Located just a few kilometres from the beaches of Forte dei Marmi and Pietrasanta, MemoFest offers a cultured and engaging alternative to the classic summer evenings on the coast. All events are free of charge, confirming the popular and civic vocation of the festival, which attracts a large and loyal audience from all over Tuscany to Seravezza every year.