Sconfinate - A stop on the Festival delle rEsistenze

A festival that travels from town to town

Sconfinate is one of the stops on "Sulle tracce delle rEsistenze", a widespread, traveling festival that crosses the municipalities of the Castelli Romani, in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Lazio. Rather than being rooted in a single village, this cultural project is nomadic: every year, the program selects specific squares, libraries, and historic centers to host meetings, shows, concerts, and walks. In 2026, the tour stopped in Rocca Priora, the highest municipality of the Castelli Romani, overlooking the Roman countryside from an altitude of over 700 meters.

Who organizes it and why

The festival is promoted by the Eppur si Muove APS association in collaboration with the Castelli Romani Library System, as part of the BiblioePiù circuit funded by the Lazio Region, with the support of the host municipal administration. The underlying idea is simple yet ambitious: to use provincial libraries as cultural engines, bringing their content out of reading rooms and into the streets and squares. The "rEsistenze" (Resistances) in the title is a deliberate wordplay: it refers both to the historical memory of the Resistance and to contemporary forms of resistance, ranging from civil rights and activism to inclusion and the empowerment of local communities.

Women's stories, eighty years after the first vote

The guiding theme chosen for the Rocca Priora stop was "Women's stories 80 years after the first vote," a direct reference to one of the founding achievements of Italian democracy. This theme served as the backdrop for dialogues, readings, and performances that explored identity, artistic expression, and the freedom to be oneself, avoiding a purely celebratory tone in favor of direct testimonies and theatrical storytelling.

Urban trekking: the heart of the day

The most distinctive feature of this stop is the urban trekking that kicks off the afternoon: a walking route through the alleys of Rocca Priora’s historic center and its panoramic viewpoints over the Castelli Romani, punctuated by live readings. The walk is more than just a guided tour; the stops become moments of listening, where the landscape, local memory, and collected testimonies overlap. The itinerary concludes at the Museo Benedetto Robazza, dedicated to the sculptor who left a collection of his works in Rocca Priora, which serves as the natural backdrop for the evening.

What to expect in the evening

• A welcome moment with a tasting of local products, marking the transition from afternoon to evening;
• A dialogue-meeting with authors and artists, in an open conversation format;
• A musical performance and a theatrical monologue to close the event, blending Roman singer-songwriter tradition with civil theatre;
• Free admission to all activities, with reservations required only for the walk.

Rocca Priora, the balcony of the Castelli

It is worth arriving early. Rocca Priora is known as "the balcony of the Castelli Romani" due to its position: on clear days, the view stretches from the Tusculum hills all the way to the sea. The historic center, clustered around the main square and the church of Santa Maria Assunta, is easily explored on foot and is dotted with scenic spots highlighted by the urban trekking route. Surrounding the town, the Castelli Romani woodlands offer trails and green areas, while the local gastronomic tradition—porchetta, Colli Albani wines, and homemade bread—perfectly complements a day at the festival.

An opportunity to seize when it passes through

As this is a traveling event, its presence in Rocca Priora is not guaranteed every year: the calendar changes with each edition, involving different municipalities in the area, from Albano Laziale to Velletri, from Frascati to Grottaferrata and Nettuno. Those interested in the festival should check the annual program of the BiblioePiù circuit and the Castelli Romani libraries in advance.