Castello di Santa Severa to host Petrolini90 festival

The Castello di Santa Severa will host ‘Petrolini90 – Il Festival’ from August 28 to 30, 2026, to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the death of Ettore Petrolini. The event celebrates the Roman artist who revolutionized Italian variety theater and created iconic comedic characters such as Fortunello, Gastone, and Nerone.

Curated by Officina Teatrale in collaboration with Officina Pasolini, the festival is supported by the Lazio Region and includes artistic direction by Massimo Venturiello. Venturiello, who received the Petrolini Prize from the Ministry of Culture in 2025, will present the production ‘Il padiglione delle meraviglie’ during the closing ceremony.

The program features theater, cinema, music, and meetings. A photographic and audiovisual exhibition titled ‘Petrolini: volti, voci, palcoscenici’ will be held at the castle, utilizing archival materials from SIAE. Additionally, the festival will offer a premiere screening of the 1913 comedy ‘Disperato per eccesso di buoncuore’, which was rediscovered in 2025 and restored by the Cineteca di Bologna.