San Giovanni in Marignano City of Poetry

A village that celebrates poetry

In the heart of Valconca, in the Malatesta village of San Giovanni in Marignano (Municipality in the province of Rimini, in Emilia-Romagna), poetry returns to centre stage every spring with the City of Poetry review. Created to restore dignity to language and thought, the event involves middle school students from the area in a competition that introduces them to the great masters of words.

The school competition

The heart of the event is the poetry competition reserved for students, who each year tackle a theme inspired by a famous poet: from Keats's rose to Emily Dickinson's garden, to Giacomo Leopardi's dialogue with the Moon. Among the dozens of poems collected, a jury selects the ten deemed most worthy, whose authors are awarded during a public ceremony. The State Comprehensive Institute and the Istituto delle Maestre Pie of the town participate.

The ceremony at the Casa della Cultura

The awards ceremony takes place at the Casa della Cultura in Piazza Silvagni, in the historic centre of the village. In addition to the presentation of awards, the afternoon features a recital curated by Luca Nicoletti, creator and soul of the review, with poetry readings accompanied by Francesca Gabrielli's flute and photographic projections. The voices of the young winners alternate with those of adult poets, in a dialogue between generations.

Inside Summer Outside the Municipality

City of Poetry traditionally opens the Summer Outside the Municipality calendar, the review of scattered events that enlivens San Giovanni in Marignano throughout the warm season with music, theatre, dance, scientific dissemination, and events for families and children. Poetry thus becomes the first step in a cultural summer that culminates in the famous Night of the Witches in June.

An event for schools and the village

With free admission and strong roots in local schools, the review is now an eagerly awaited event by the San Giovanni in Marignano community: a way to let young people experience poetry not as a school subject, but as a living experience, shared in the heart of one of the most charming villages on the Rimini Riviera.