Poor Theater of Monticchiello: a workshop of encounter

The experience

We welcome you to Monticchiello, a medieval jewel nestled in the Tuscan hills just a stone’s throw from Siena. This enchanting village, suspended in time, is a destination that invites you on an unforgettable journey through Tuscan history,theater and authenticity.

There has never been a real theater here, masonry, Italian-style, with boxes and stalls, but its beating heart is the Teatro Povero, a unique theatrical experience that involves the community and transforms the hamlet into an open-air stage: it is the locals and descendants who perform, all together, in a play created and directed by the people of the small hamlet, who are in charge of all stages of production.

It is a social and cultural project born in the 1960s, a time when the Tuscan village went through a deep economic and social crisis, which led to the disappearance of jobs, culture and traditions and a halving of the population.

Monticchiello’s Poor Theatre is a theatrical experience that goes beyond mere performances

Since 1967, each year residents have taken to the streets and stage with an “autodrama,” a play they construct together, villagers taking an active part in the creation of a performance that unfolds throughout the year, involving the entire community.

The activity we are proposing will allow you to become part of the popular company of Monticchiello’s Teatro Povero for a day: experience participating in the shared creation stages of the drama that will be staged during the summer, interact with other people in the village, and act with them in an open theater rehearsal.

It will be a unique opportunity to connect with the local community, sharing the traditions of the small village and listening to people’s stories, searching for common roots.