Teatri di Pietra at Halaesa Arconidea

Theatre returns to the stones of Halaesa

The Teatri di Pietra at Halaesa Arconidea festival brings a grand classical repertoire to the ruins of the ancient Greco-Roman city located on the hills of Tusa, in the heart of the Nebrodi mountains, in the province of Messina (Sicily). This initiative is part of the national Teatri di Pietra project, a network that for over twenty years has been restoring the original purpose of Mediterranean archaeological and monumental sites as venues for performance, blending heritage conservation with contemporary theatrical production.

A unique archaeological site

The Halaesa Arconidea Archaeological Park preserves the remains of a city founded in the 4th century BC, featuring the agora, public buildings, paved streets, and, more recently, the Hellenistic-Roman theatre brought to light by excavations. Recent archaeological campaigns, which have also revealed an impressive thermal complex, have made the site even more precious and reinforced its vocation as a natural stage: performances take place among the ruins, with the valley and the Tyrrhenian Sea as a backdrop.

Tragedies, comedies, and myths under the stars

The programme focuses on the Greek and Latin repertoire: the great tragedies of Euripides and Aeschylus, the comedies of Aristophanes, as well as music-theatre performances, dramatizations of myths, and itinerant productions. The events, typically starting at 9:00 PM, feature professional companies and directors from the Teatri di Pietra circuit, with stagings specifically designed to engage with the ancient space.

A cultural summer in Tusa

The performances at Halaesa are part of the rich summer season of the Municipality of Tusa, which also includes the Archaeology Week, the Book Festival, the Sicilian Song Festival, and various cabaret and prose events. It is an opportunity to discover a village in the Nebrodi that combines archaeology, forests, authentic flavours, and contemporary art, just a few kilometres from the famous Fiumara d'Arte land art project.

Why it's worth the trip

• Classical theatre set in an authentic Hellenistic-Roman archaeological site
• Evening performances among the ruins, with natural scenery and a starry sky
• Companies and directors from the national Teatri di Pietra circuit
• Close to Cefalù, the Nebrodi mountains, and the Tyrrhenian coast of Messina