Officina Pigneto

A permanent cultural hub in Pigneto

Officina Pigneto was established in 2026 as a laboratory for critical thinking and a mobile cultural center in the heart of Pigneto, one of Rome's most vibrant and creative neighborhoods, located in Municipio V. Promoted by Roma Capitale through the Department of Culture, in collaboration with the Rome Library System, the Nuovo Cinema Aquila, and supported by Zètema Progetto Cultura, the initiative transforms cultural engagement into a shared workshop: an open and accessible space where writers, institutions, artists, and citizens meet to reflect on the present together.

Curated by Nicola Lagioia

The project is curated by writer Nicola Lagioia, Strega Prize winner and former director of the Turin International Book Fair, in collaboration with writer Anna Voltaggio. The concept is that of a permanent hub, rooted in the neighborhood yet capable of engaging with the entire city: not just a simple calendar of events, but a true multi-voiced laboratory where culture becomes a tool for understanding and participation.

Two venues in the neighborhood

The meetings take place in two iconic locations in Pigneto:

• Goffredo Mameli Library — Via del Pigneto 22;
• Nuovo Cinema Aquila — Via L'Aquila 66/74.

Two public spaces that become the beating heart of a project designed to permanently inhabit the social and cultural fabric of the area.

The 2026 Program: 36 events

From April 2 to December 31, 2026, every Thursday at 6:30 PM, Officina Pigneto offers 36 free events (with an August break), organized into quarterly cycles, each with a guiding theme. The first cycle, "Sognare Forte" (Dreaming Big), invited participants to imagine a brighter and more human future; the summer and autumn cycle, "Perdere tempo" (Wasting Time), claims the luxury of slowness against the rush of the metropolis.

The format is intentionally varied and includes:

• open lectures by writers, directors, and artists;
• major interviews with cultural figures;
• collective interviews with Rome's library reading groups;
• prequels and spin-offs of major city cultural festivals;
• debates on cultural, artistic, and scientific topics, courses, workshops, and labs.

Announced guests for the "Perdere tempo" cycle include leading names from the Italian cultural scene such as Cecilia Sala, Paolo Giordano, Sandro Veronesi, Valeria Solarino, Ilaria Gaspari, and Antonella Lattanzi.

A workshop open to all

Admission to all events is free until capacity is reached, with reservations recommended by calling 060608. Officina Pigneto thus positions itself as a model of widespread, local culture in the Lazio region: an experience that restores the role of spaces for thought, encounter, and community to the neighborhood's libraries and public venues.