by Nina Vaclavikova
Interview: Serena Tonel, deputy mayor of Trieste and city councillor for economic policies, theaters and municipal companies; Lorenzo Acquaviva, artistic director of Festival Approdi
The multidisciplinary Festival Approdi will celebrate its 10th edition this year with a program centered on a timely theme: the search for humanity. From June 17 to July 23 and again from September 25 to October 1, the festival will bring theater, music, film and dance performances to some of Trieste’s most distinctive venues.
Founded in 2017 and directed by Lorenzo Acquaviva, the festival has built a reputation for pairing artistic performances with historic and unconventional locations across the city, from the Orto Lapidario Tergestino and the Sartorio Museum gardens to theaters, churches and waterfront spaces.
This year’s theme, “Cercando Umanità” (“Searching for Humanity”), reflects a broader reflection on contemporary society. Acquaviva said the idea emerged from a desire to reconnect with community and shared experience at a time when constant exposure to global events can foster emotional distance.
The program opens with Spoon River ReMasters, an original production inspired by Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology. Staged as a site-specific theatrical journey through the Orto Lapidario Tergestino, the work reimagines the classic text through contemporary stories and characters.
Other highlights of the summer season include performances by the comedy duo I Papu, comedian Daniele Gattano and journalist Domenico Iannacone, whose stage conversation Cercando Umanità will explore social issues and overlooked personal stories. Music, stand-up comedy and an outdoor film screening presented in collaboration with local cultural organizations also feature on the program.
Following a summer break, the festival returns in autumn with acclaimed actor and playwright Danio Manfredinipresenting Al presente, a work examining memory, identity and consciousness. The season concludes with Quel giorno a Princeton, an original production inspired by the documented 1935 meeting between Luigi Pirandello and Albert Einstein.
Alongside its performance program, Festival Approdi continues its educational mission through workshops and training opportunities for emerging artists, reinforcing a commitment that has accompanied the event throughout its first decade.
City officials praised the festival’s role in expanding cultural programming beyond traditional venues and in highlighting Trieste’s architectural and cultural heritage. What began as an experiment in site-specific performance has become a fixture of the city’s summer cultural calendar, attracting audiences seeking immersive and locally rooted experiences.
