Women's Voices
Writing, poetry, and thought: a feminine journey at the Museo di San Michele
About Women's Voices
Women's Voices: a feminine spring in Massa e Cozzile
Women's Voices is the cultural festival that brightens the spring at the Museo di San Michele, in the heart of the village of Massa, within the municipality of Massa e Cozzile (Province of Pistoia, Tuscany). Promoted by the Department of Culture, the festival offers a series of five meetings dedicated to great female figures from the 18th to the 20th century: poets, writers, intellectuals, and thinkers presented by contemporary scholars, professors, and authors.
A journey through writing, poetry, and thought
The festival's subtitle, Writing, poetry, and thought, says it all: every event is an opportunity to rediscover the voices of women who expressed themselves through literature, poetry, and reflection, often in historically challenging contexts. The program ranges from the great poets of the 19th and 20th centuries to the intellectuals of the fascist era, from 18th-century female diaries to the partisan authors of the post-war period.
The meetings are held in the afternoon, generally at 5:30 PM, in the intimate setting of the Museo di San Michele, housed in the ancient church of the medieval village of Massa. It is an intimate, dialogic format designed for direct interaction between speakers and the audience, far from large auditoriums and closer to the spirit of a local cultural salon.
Protagonists and themes
- Female poetry of the 19th and 20th centuries, from Emily Dickinson to Anna Akhmatova, from Antonia Pozzi to Wisława Szymborska and Sylvia Plath.
- Controversial 20th-century intellectuals, such as Margherita Sarfatti.
- Female diary writing between the 18th and 19th centuries.
- 20th-century writers and partisans, such as Alba de Céspedes.
- The condition of Italian women between the 18th and 19th centuries, re-examined through literature.
Culture and conviviality in the village
A distinctive feature of the festival is its social dimension: at the end of each meeting, the Circolo Arci L. V. Giusfredi offers an aperitif to participants, turning the literary afternoon into a moment of social exchange. Women's Voices is therefore not just a cultural event, but also an opportunity to experience the village of Massa e Cozzile, nestled in the hills of the Valdinievole, just a few kilometers from Montecatini Terme and Pescia.
The festival confirms the commitment of the Municipality of Massa e Cozzile to enhancing its historical and cultural heritage, with a program capable of intertwining literature, memory, and female identity in a charming setting.
Women's Voices — edition 2026
The 2026 edition of Women's Voices took place at the Museo di San Michele in Massa e Cozzile (PT) with five afternoon meetings from March to May, each dedicated to a different female figure or theme. Promoted by the Municipality of Massa e Cozzile, the festival confirmed its intimate and dialogic format, with a loyal audience and a final toast offered by the Circolo Arci L. V. Giusfredi.
From the poetry of the great authors of the 19th and 20th centuries to the intellectuals of the fascist era, from 18th-century diary writing to 20th-century partisan writers, the program offered a rich and multifaceted journey through the voices of women in Italian and European culture.
Programme Women's Voices 2026
March 28, 2026 - 5:30 PM
- Alba Donati, poet and founder of the Libreria sulla collina in Lucignana, presents Ragazze che scrivono poesie (Einaudi) in conversation with Sabrina Zini: a journey into female poetry between the 19th and 20th centuries, from Emily Dickinson and Anna Akhmatova to Antonia Pozzi, Wisława Szymborska, and Sylvia Plath.
April 11, 2026 - 5:30 PM
- Giovanna La Porta discusses Margherita Sarfatti, writer, art critic, and founder of the Novecento group, a controversial figure and leading intellectual of the early 20th-century Italy.
April 18, 2026 - 5:30 PM
- Silvia Bruti, professor at the University of Pisa, addresses female diary writing between the 18th and 19th centuries, with a focus on the figures of Henriette and Sara Sismondi.
May 9, 2026 - 5:30 PM
- Giada Guerra, literature professor, dedicates the meeting to Alba de Céspedes, writer, partisan, and a leading figure in 20th-century literature.
May 30, 2026 - 5:30 PM
- Andrea Pellegrini closes the festival by illustrating the condition of Italian women between the 18th and 19th centuries through the essay The Women of Italy (1826) by Ugo Foscolo.
At the end of each meeting, a convivial aperitif is hosted by the Circolo Arci L. V. Giusfredi.
Highlights Women's Voices 2026
Prices Women's Voices 2026
Practical information — Women's Voices
Location
Museo di San Michele, Piazza Camillo Benso di Cavour, Massa district, 51010 Massa e Cozzile (PT), Tuscany.
How to get there
By car: from the A11 Firenze-Mare motorway, take the Montecatini Terme exit, then follow signs for Massa e Cozzile (about 10 minutes). By train: Montecatini Terme station on the Florence-Lucca-Viareggio line, then local connection or taxi to the village of Massa.
Hours and admission
Meetings are held in the afternoon, generally at 5:30 PM. Admission is 8 euros with mandatory reservation.
Reservations and information
Culture Office of the Municipality of Massa e Cozzile - Phone +39 0572 928354 or +39 0572 090614 - Email [email protected].
Tips
At the end of each meeting, an aperitif is provided by the Circolo Arci L. V. Giusfredi. The village of Massa is worth a stroll before or after the event, among medieval alleys and panoramic views of the Valdinievole.
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Where does it take place — Women's Voices
Museo di San Michele
Piazza Camillo Benso di Cavour, 51010 Massa e Cozzile