TAU - United Ancient Theatres

The festival

TAU - Teatri Antichi Uniti is the major festival of classical and contemporary theatre that enlivens the historic sites and archaeological areas of the Marche region every summer. Organized by AMAT (Associazione Marchigiana Attività Teatrali) with the support of the Marche Region, the Ministry of Culture, and numerous Municipalities, the festival transforms cloisters, amphitheatres, Roman theatres, and archaeological areas into natural stages where Greek tragedy, epic poetry, and myth dialogue with contemporary sensibility. In Ascoli Piceno, in the heart of the Piceno area, the setting is the Cloister of Sant'Agostino, a secluded space in the historic centre that becomes one of the festival's most beloved venues each summer.

A festival spread throughout the region

In 2026, TAU reaches its 28th edition with a programme of 37 performances spread across 17 historical and archaeological sites in the Marche region, from Ascoli Piceno to Ancona, from Urbisaglia to Falerone, from Fano to Sirolo. The event takes place throughout the summer, from June to September, and offers a journey through Greek tragedy, Homeric epics, and contemporary reinterpretations of great myths, entrusted to some of the best performers on the Italian theatre scene.

Performances in Ascoli Piceno

The Cloister of Sant'Agostino hosts three events of the festival, all starting at 9:30 PM:

• Le Confessioni di Sant'Agostino (The Confessions of Saint Augustine) with Alessandro Preziosi, adapted by Tommaso Mattei with original electronic music by De Maio: an intense theatrical journey through memory, crisis, and redemption;
• Figli di Troia (Children of Troy) with Paolo Cevoli, a comical and irreverent reinterpretation of Aeneas's mythical journey;
• La Canzone di Giasone e Medea (The Song of Jason and Medea) by and with Elena Bucci and Marco Sgrosso, a powerful contemporary rewrite that intertwines words, music, dance, and masks around the themes of love, betrayal, and exile.

Myth, word, and heritage

TAU is not just a season of performances, but a way of experiencing the region's heritage: attending a tragedy or a reinterpretation of a myth within the Cloister of Sant'Agostino, in the historic centre of Ascoli Piceno, in the Province of Ascoli Piceno and in the Marche region, is an experience that combines history, architecture, and live performance like few other festivals can. For almost thirty years, the festival has confirmed the deep link between places of memory and theatre, bringing audiences back to the ancient ritual of open-air performances.