Festival delle Nazioni

The cultural heart of the Alta Valle del Tevere (Upper Tiber Valley), the Festival delle Nazioni has, since its inception, assumed a distinctive identity of great significance in the European landscape. In 56 years of great artistic and cultural experiences, the Festival has given all European nations the opportunity to present their most significant musical traditions to a wide audience, dedicating each year to one of them with its own artistic, cultural and musical project.

The Festival has also always contributed with great determination to the dissemination of 20th-century culture by entrusting contemporary composers, such as Salvatore Sciarrino, with the production of their first works, demonstrating that it is possible and fruitful to combine tradition with the most innovative expressions of music.

The international identity of the Festival delle Nazioni has guided its artistic choices towards the broadest geographical and political-cultural horizons. Think of guest countries such as Spain, Poland and Israel, which have led to encounters between musical groups and artists from the Jewish and Islamic traditions.

The Festival has also had the merit of promoting and raising awareness of the numerous historical and artistic artefacts of the Alta Valle del Tevere, contributing to the development of high-quality tourism.

From Sansepolcro to Anghiari, from Morra to Monte Santa Maria Tiberina, from San Giustino to Umbertide, from Citerna to Montone and Città di Castello, all the museums, churches and theatres in this geographical area have been home to concerts and performances by extraordinary guests such as Uto Ughi, Salvatore Accardo, Luciano Pavarotti, Krystian Zimerman, Gidon Kremer, Shlomo Mintz, Krystof Penderecky, Yuri Bashmet, the Amadeus Quartet, Alexander Lonquich and Mstislav Rostropovich, who performed one of his last concerts at the Festival - all great artists who have marked the history of musical culture in Italy and Europe.

Since its debut, the Festival delle Nazioni has been supported by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, the Province of Perugia, the Region of Umbria, the local authorities of the Upper Tiber Valley and Città di Castello, which has chosen it as the main event through which to promote its civic identity in Umbria, Italy and Europe.