Morbello Vergari Prize

A day for Morbello Vergari

The Morbello Vergari Prize is the day that Santa Caterina, a village in the municipality of Roccalbegna in the province of Grosseto, dedicates every spring to the memory of its most beloved poet. In a corner of the Tuscan Maremma, at the foot of Mount Amiata, the village square becomes the stage for an event that unites poetry, folk singing, and rural tradition.

Who was Morbello Vergari

Born in Santa Caterina on December 28, 1920, into a farming family, Morbello Vergari (1920-1989) is considered one of the most representative folk poets of the Maremma. With only three years of formal schooling and a life marked by field labor and imprisonment during the Second World War, he became a self-taught artist capable of giving voice to the rural Maremma world in dialect. He founded the Coro degli Etruschi, collected proverbs, songs, and customs, and served as a guardian of the archaeological excavations of Roselle. Among his works are Versacci e discorsucci (1964) and Canti popolari in Maremma (1975).

Maggiolate, stornelli, and poetry

The festival brings to the square the oral tradition that Vergari helped to save: maggiolate, stornelli, folk songs, and impromptu poetry. Local folk groups take turns on stage, while the poetry prize involves local school students, who are invited to compose verses in the spirit of tradition. It is a day of music, color, and conviviality, designed to rediscover the cultural identity of the Amiata and the Grosseto Maremma.

A community event

Promoted by the Municipality of Roccalbegna and organized by the Davide Lazzaretti Community Cooperative, the Morbello Vergari Prize stems from the desire to pass on the Maremma poetic and folkloric heritage to new generations. Admission is free, and the day traditionally closes with moments of celebration and meetings between the village residents and visitors.