Nordic Week

A bridge between Tolfa and Norway

The Nordic Week is a cultural festival that, for ten days in October, brings artists, artisans, musicians, and intellectuals from Norway and the Scandinavian countries to the heart of the Tolfa Mountains. The village of Tolfa, in northern Lazio, becomes an open-air laboratory where contemporary art, photography, cinema, music, literature, and Northern European gastronomy intertwine in constant dialogue with local traditions.

Thirty years of Italo-Norwegian relations

The event stems from a three-decade-long history: since 1995, the Italo-Norwegian Study Centre has been operating in Tolfa, founded by Norwegian professor Edvard Vogt in the former convent of San Giuseppe. Since then, it has hosted Scandinavian scholars and artists, turning the town into a small Nordic enclave in Lazio. The first edition of the Nordic Week, in October 2025, celebrated this anniversary with the conference 'Tolfa and Norway — 30 years of relations' and was inaugurated by the visit of the Norwegian Ambassador to Italy, Tord Tukun, accompanied by the embassy's cultural attaché.

Nordic exhibitions, cinema, and music

The festival program ranges from art and photography exhibitions and Nordic design displays to Scandinavian film screenings and concerts. The 2025 edition featured Norwegian painters Sigrun Hellerud, with a solo exhibition opening on October 19, Tove Hellerud, and Irene Myrbostad, with artistic installations set up in the evocative spaces of the Capuchin Convent and Palazzo Buttaoni; the grand finale saw musical performances by the Hacking Wagner project. The schedule also includes book presentations, thematic meetings on sustainability and Nordic literature, and cultural dinners pairing Scandinavian flavors with traditional Tolfetana cuisine.

Sami crafts and the Catana Day

One of the most original features of the Nordic Week is the encounter between artistic trades: Sami artisans, the indigenous people of Lapland, lead leather-working and ceramics workshops alongside the Accademia della Catana, the guardian of the handcrafted leather bag that is the symbol of Tolfa. The Catana Day compares these two manufacturing traditions through demonstrations, workshops, and activities dedicated to schools and children.

The festival venues

Events are spread across the most significant locations in the historic center: the Cultural Hub in the former church and convent of Santa Maria della Sughera, the Capuchin Convent, the Claudio Theater, the Civic Museum, Palazzo Buttaoni, the Palazzaccio, Piazza Nuova, and the headquarters of the Italo-Norwegian Study Centre. It is a journey that invites visitors to discover the village's architectural heritage while moving from an exhibition to a concert.

Tolfa, a village of art in Lazio

Supported by the Municipality of Tolfa together with the Pro Loco, Centro La Rocca, Fidapa, and the Nordic embassies, the festival confirms the cultural vocation of this village in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region, already known for the Tolfa Jazz festival and the tradition of the 'butteri' (cowboys). The Nordic Week adds an international touch to the identity of a town that has made welcoming artists its signature.