Tu Donna - Event Series

A full month of May dedicated to Women

Tu Donna is the festival that, since 2003, has accompanied the month of May in Maddaloni, in the province of Caserta, Campania. It is not a single event but a true widespread series: for weeks, the city hosts concerts, exhibitions, liturgical celebrations, meetings, workshops for children, and guided tours, all united by a single theme: the female figure, and in particular Mary, Mother of the Redeemer, to whom Catholic tradition dedicates the month of May.

Twenty-four editions signed by the "A. Barchetta" Association

The festival is conceived, promoted, and organized by the "A. Barchetta" Cultural and Musical Association ODV, a Maddaloni-based volunteer organization active for over twenty years in promoting culture, art, and music. The artistic direction is entrusted to Maestro Antonio Barchetta, who conducts the association's choir and orchestra, while the events are traditionally hosted by the narrator Luca Ugo Tramontano, a historical presence of the festival.

In 2026, the series reached its 24th edition, confirming a rare continuity for a festival built entirely on volunteer work. Over the years, Tu Donna has received the patronage of the Campania Region, the Province of Caserta, and the Municipality of Maddaloni, in addition to the support of local associations and tourism entities.

Sacred music, choirs, and orchestra

The heart of the festival remains music. The main events are concerts for soloists, choir, and orchestra performed by the association's ensembles, often joined by guest choirs from the area. The repertoire weaves together sacred music, operatic pages, and pieces from the traditional Campanian folk music, in a format that alternates musical performance and narration, making the program accessible even to those who do not usually attend classical music concerts.

• Marian concerts and solemn liturgies animated by choir and orchestra
• The traditional Grand Concert for Mother's Day, one of the most anticipated events
• The Concert for Women, which closes the series at the end of May

Art, photography, and local memory

Alongside the concerts, Tu Donna offers annual solo painting and photography exhibitions, art installations, and storytelling moments. Several editions have combined the artistic program with the rediscovery of underground Maddaloni and historical city sites that are otherwise inaccessible, transforming the festival into an opportunity to enhance local heritage. There is no shortage of ethnic markets and folk music evenings, which add a more convivial tone to the calendar.

The festival venues

The events take place in some of the city's most significant locations: the Confraternity of San Giovanni Battista, the Church of the SS. Annunziata, the Sanctuary of San Michele, the Church of Santa Margherita, and the Santa Maria del Carmine Cultural Center, which has hosted the closing events in recent years. Some evenings also move to the nearby Valle di Maddaloni, at the parish of San Pietro and San Pancrazio.

Why it's worth attending

Tu Donna is a great example of how a provincial community can build, with limited resources and great continuity, a full month-long cultural program. For those visiting the Terra di Lavoro in spring, the festival offers the chance to enter churches and confraternities that are normally closed, listen to high-quality live music, and grasp the relationship between popular faith, musical tradition, and city life that characterizes this part of Campania. Maddaloni, spread out at the foot of the San Michele hill and just a few kilometers from the Royal Palace of Caserta and the Ponti della Valle of the Carolino Aqueduct, is particularly well-suited for a visit that combines heritage and cultural events.