Montale a Teatro

Montale a Teatro, the new festival of the Pistoia plains

Montale a Teatro is a live performance festival debuting in 2026 in the Municipality of Montale, in the province of Pistoia, in the heart of Tuscany. The initiative is the result of a synergy between the municipal administration and the Fondazione Teatri di Pistoia, of which the Municipality is a member: a project aimed at bringing high-quality theatre to the smaller towns of the Pistoia plains, expanding and diversifying the local cultural offering.

The programme of the first edition

The first edition consists of three events, spread between late March and late May 2026:

• Friday, March 27, 8:45 PM — Villa Smilea: Giuseppe Cederna in "Non perché tutti siano artisti ma perché nessuno sia schiavo" ("Not so that everyone may be an artist, but so that no one may be a slave"), a project dedicated to the life and work of Gianni Rodari (1920-1980), the writer who revolutionized children's literature.
• Friday, April 24, 8:45 PM — Villa Smilea: Alessandro Benvenuti with the reading "Letture scapigliate" ("Dishevelled Readings"), featuring excerpts from "Bottegai" by Ugo Chiti and "Gino detto Smith & la panchina sensibile" by Benvenuti himself.
• Wednesday, May 27, 6:30 PM — Piazza Matteotti: a grand open-air finale with the Compagnia Nando e Maila and their show "Sonata per Tubi" ("Sonata for Tubes"), a funambulistic contemporary circus performance that weaves together music, theatre, and circus arts, suitable for all ages.

Villa Smilea and the link to fairy tales

The heart of the festival is Villa Smilea, a historic residence hosting the two evening events, while the final show transforms Piazza Matteotti into an open-air stage for the entire community. The inaugural show by Giuseppe Cederna is also part of the Montale Paese della Fiaba ("Montale, Land of Fairy Tales") programme, a multi-year initiative that promotes the educational power of fairy tales, for which Cederna will also hold a morning session dedicated to children and teenagers.

An event for the local area

With nationally renowned artists and a programme ranging from narrative theatre to contemporary circus, Montale a Teatro enriches the cultural landscape of Montale and the province of Pistoia. The festival appeals to a wide audience, from families to theatre enthusiasts, and confirms the Tuscan region's commitment to live performance accessible to all, with free admission for every show.