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Monticchiello: a Village That Has Been Telling Its Own Story for Sixty

Monticchiello, a small village in the Val d’Orcia, just a few kilometres from Pienza, is one of them.

Since the second half of the 1960s, every summer the local residents have become the writers, actors, and leading characters of a new performance. This is the Teatro Povero di Monticchiello, or “Poor Theatre of Monticchiello”: a unique cultural experience created not simply to produce theatre, but to help a community understand and describe the profound changes that were transforming rural life.

During the 1960s, following the decline of the sharecropping system, Monticchiello rapidly witnessed the disappearance of occupations, traditions, and customs that had shaped village life for centuries. The population was halved, and those who chose to remain searched for a way to reflect on their past and on the changes taking place around them.

In a village without a traditional theatre, the main square became the natural stage for a form of cultural resistance and collective renewal.

The “Autodramma”: Theatre Written by an Entire Village

Since 1967, the Teatro Povero has presented a new autodramma, or self-written community play, every summer: a performance conceived, discussed, written, and acted by the residents of Monticchiello together with the theatre company.

The creative process begins during the winter, through meetings in which the community discusses the issues affecting the village and contemporary society. These reflections are gradually transformed into a story, then into a script, and finally into a performance staged for that summer season.

The resident-actors bring characters, memories, fears, and hopes to the stage. These experiences belong to the village, but often speak to audiences far beyond Monticchiello.

The Teatro Povero is therefore much more than an amateur theatre company. It is a permanent workshop of memory, participation, and shared identity. Over the years, its performances have explored themes such as the depopulation of rural villages, the relationship between tradition and modernity, changes in employment, environmental issues, encounters with different cultures, and the challenges faced by younger generations.

In 1980, the project was formally organised as a cooperative. Today, it is also recognised as an important example of a community cooperative, involved not only in theatrical and cultural activities but also in managing services for the residents of the village.

“L’Occhio Oltre”: the Sixtieth Autodramma

The summer of 2026 marks a particularly important anniversary. The Teatro Povero will present its sixtieth autodramma, entitled:

L’OCCHIO OLTRE (THE EYE BEYOND)

The performance will take place from Saturday, 25 July to Friday, 14 August 2026, every evening at 9:30 p.m., in the evocative setting of Piazza della Commenda in Monticchiello. No performances on Monday, 27 July and on Monday, 3 August

This is an extraordinary milestone for a community that, across different generations, has continued for sixty years to meet, debate, create, and tell its story before an audience.

An Evening of Theatre and a Stay in the Most Authentic Tuscany

Attending an autodramma in Monticchiello is not simply a matter of watching a play. It means entering, for at least one evening, into the life of a village, listening to its voices, and discovering how a small community can transform its history and present-day concerns into a shared theatrical experience.

To enjoy this event while staying in a peaceful location in the heart of Tuscany, visitors can choose the Dimora del Campanile, situated in the historic centre of Torrita di Siena, only a short drive from Monticchiello.

The residence occupies the former rectory of the Collegiate Church of Saints Martin and Costanzo, a historic building dating back to 1631. It retains the charm of a traditional Tuscan home, with exposed stone walls, wooden beams, and original architectural details.

Arranged over two floors, the accommodation welcomes up to four guests and includes a living area with kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an atmospheric stone cellar.

From the Dimora del Campanile, guests can leave in the late afternoon and drive through the rolling countryside between the Valdichiana and the Val d’Orcia. They can reach Monticchiello in time for a walk through the village or dinner before taking their seats in the square as the village itself becomes a theatre.

After the performance, they can return to the peace and quiet of Torrita di Siena’s historic walls.

It is a special opportunity to combine theatre, history, landscape, and Tuscan hospitality, transforming a summer evening into an unforgettable journey through the most authentic side of Tuscany.

Teatro Povero di Monticchiello

Dimora del Campanile | Appartamento a Torrita di Siena