Santa Maria della Pietà Arena
Free open-air cinema in the Monte Mario district
About Santa Maria della Pietà Arena
Cinema returns to the Monte Mario park
The Santa Maria della Pietà Arena is the summer open-air film festival that brings the vast green grounds of Santa Maria della Pietà to life every July. Located in the Monte Mario neighborhood within Rome's Municipality XIV, the event was established in 2023. It is promoted by the Fondazione Cinema per Roma as part of the city-wide Vivi il Cinema! project, supported by Roma Capitale, which also hosts free screenings at the Parco degli Acquedotti, Corviale, and Tor Marancia.
A place with a story to tell
The Santa Maria della Pietà complex is no ordinary park: it is the capital's former psychiatric hospital, now reclaimed as a public green and cultural space. Screening films among these pavilions helps reactivate the memory of a site long hidden from view. The festival works in synergy with the Museo Laboratorio della Mente, located within the complex, which offers special evening openings during the festival, alongside guided tours led by local volunteers.
A program for everyone
The lineup features a mix of cinematic masterpieces, contemporary Italian comedies, and popular blockbusters, with a special focus on anniversaries and auteur retrospectives. Evenings are often introduced by actors, directors, and critics who engage with the audience before the screening, turning the arena into a space for conversation as well as viewing. All films are screened in Italian.
- Screenings every evening, starting at 9:15 PM
- Completely free admission, subject to availability
- Restored classics, recent Italian cinema, and international titles
- Pre-show guest appearances
- Accessible screenings with subtitles for the deaf and audio description
Accessible cinema
A highlight of the festival is its commitment to accessibility: select evenings feature subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing and audio description available via the free Earcatch smartphone app. It is a practical way to ensure public cinema is truly for everyone.
Why visit
In the heart of the Roman summer, when the historic center is crowded and the heat lingers into the night, the Monte Mario arena offers a rare alternative: a large grassy lawn, the cooler air of the hillside, a big screen, and no ticket required. It is the kind of event that captures the Lazio Region beyond the postcards: quality cinema in a residential neighborhood, enjoyed by a community of families, students, and film buffs who return night after night.
The Vivi il Cinema! project
The arena is part of a broader program bringing dozens of free screenings to the outskirts and semi-central districts of the capital throughout July. The goal of the Fondazione Cinema per Roma is to decentralize cultural offerings, bringing the big screen to areas where permanent theaters are scarce, and building a new audience for auteur cinema.
Santa Maria della Pietà Arena — edition 2026
Fourteen nights, fourteen films
The 2026 edition of the Santa Maria della Pietà Arena takes place from July 15 to 28, every evening at 9:15 PM, in the complex located in Rome's Municipality XIV. The program, curated by the Fondazione Cinema per Roma as part of Vivi il Cinema!, celebrates two major anniversaries: the centenary of Mel Brooks, featured with two titles, and the seventieth birthday of Tom Hanks. Admission is free until capacity is reached.
Guests and accessibility
Two evenings feature pre-screening talks with the audience: Liliana Fiorelli on July 16 for I peggiori giorni and Barbara Ronchi on July 23 for Thelma & Louise. The screening on July 21 is presented in an accessible version, with subtitles for the deaf and audio description via the free Earcatch app.
Programme Santa Maria della Pietà Arena 2026
Full program — screenings at 9:15 PM
- Wednesday, July 15 — Gilda by Charles Vidor (USA, 1946, 109')
- Thursday, July 16 — I peggiori giorni by Edoardo Leo and Massimiliano Bruno (Italy, 2023, 117') — meeting with Liliana Fiorelli
- Friday, July 17 — Murder on the Orient Express by Kenneth Branagh (USA/UK/Malta, 2017, 115')
- Saturday, July 18 — Blazing Saddles by Mel Brooks (USA, 1974, 93')
- Sunday, July 19 — We All Loved Each Other So Much by Ettore Scola (Italy, 1974, 125')
- Monday, July 20 — Life of Pi by Ang Lee (USA, 2012, 129')
- Tuesday, July 21 — The Way We Were by Sidney Pollack (USA, 1973, 118') — accessible screening with subtitles and audio description
- Wednesday, July 22 — You've Got Mail by Nora Ephron (USA, 1998, 119')
- Thursday, July 23 — Thelma & Louise by Ridley Scott (USA/UK/France, 1990, 131') — meeting with Barbara Ronchi
- Friday, July 24 — Cast Away by Robert Zemeckis (USA, 2000, 143')
- Saturday, July 25 — Big by Penny Marshall (USA, 1988, 104')
- Sunday, July 26 — Sully by Clint Eastwood (USA, 2016, 96')
- Monday, July 27 — Moulin Rouge! by Baz Luhrmann (Australia/USA, 2001, 130')
- Tuesday, July 28 — Young Frankenstein by Mel Brooks (USA, 1974, 106')
Highlights Santa Maria della Pietà Arena 2026
- Opening night with Gilda: Charles Vidor's masterpiece starring Rita Hayworth, eighty years after its theatrical release.
- Tribute to Mel Brooks for his centenary, with Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein closing the festival.
- Tribute to Tom Hanks in his seventieth year, featuring You've Got Mail, Cast Away, Big, and Sully.
- Audience meetings: Liliana Fiorelli (July 16) and Barbara Ronchi (July 23).
- Accessible screening on July 21 with subtitles for the deaf and audio description via the Earcatch app.
Prices Santa Maria della Pietà Arena 2026
Practical information — Santa Maria della Pietà Arena
Location
Santa Maria della Pietà complex, Piazza Santa Maria della Pietà 5, 00135 Rome (Municipality XIV, Monte Mario).
Getting there
By metro: Line A to Cornelia or Battistini, then local bus towards Monte Mario. By train: FL3 Monte Mario station, a short distance from the complex. By car: Exit from the Circonvallazione Trionfale; parking is available inside the complex, but arriving early is recommended on busy nights.
Hours and admission
Screenings every night starting at 9:15 PM. Free admission until capacity is reached; no reservations, so we recommend arriving at least half an hour early.
Tips
Bring a light jacket: the Monte Mario hill is breezier than the rest of the city. The Museo Laboratorio della Mente, located within the complex, offers special evening openings on select dates during the festival.
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Where does it take place — Santa Maria della Pietà Arena
Comprensorio di Santa Maria della Pietà
Piazza Santa Maria della Pietà 5, 00135 Roma