Sipario Bandello - Theatre at the Castle

A theatre festival in the shadow of the castle

Sipario Bandello - Theatre at the Castle is the summer theatre highlight of Castelnuovo Scrivia, a town in the province of Alessandria overlooking the Scrivia Valley in south-eastern Piedmont. For four consecutive Saturdays, from June 13 to July 4, 2026, the courtyard of the Castello dei Torriani e dei Bandello transforms into an open-air auditorium, where ancient stone serves as the backdrop for staged readings, contemporary drama, and auteur monologues.

The common thread: Matteo Bandello

The festival is built around the figure of Matteo Bandello, the celebrated Renaissance novelist born right here in Castelnuovo Scrivia and considered the town's most illustrious son. His novellas, which even inspired William Shakespeare, serve as the starting point for a journey that intertwines literary memory and live theatre. As the Municipality emphasizes, the goal is to show how the stage can still tell stories that concern us closely.

Four evenings, four different styles

The 2026 programme alternates between literary tributes, contemporary Italian dramatic texts, and intense acting performances. It kicks off on June 13 with staged readings dedicated to Bandello, concluding on July 4 with a final show entrusted to an established performer of the national scene. Live music accompanies the first few evenings, giving the festival a scope that goes beyond simple readings.

An event that enhances the territory

Organized by the Culture Office of the Municipality of Castelnuovo Scrivia with the patronage of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Torino, the festival is a piece of the broader cultural enhancement project that the town dedicates to its Renaissance past, which also includes the historical re-enactment "Nel paese di Bandello". Attending a show in the castle courtyard means combining the quality of the theatrical offering with the discovery of one of the most history-rich villages in the province of Alessandria.