Ticinum Festival 2026

From 4 to 12 September 2026, the courtyard of the Broletto once again becomes the beating heart of Pavia for the sixth edition of Ticinum Festival. Over nine evenings, visitors can enjoy a mix of cultural talks, live shows and the tastings of Ticinum Gourmet, in one of the city's most iconic and best-loved spaces.

A Late-Summer Event Rooted in Culture and the Local Area

The formula that has made Ticinum Festival a fixture of late summer in Pavia is confirmed once again: a blend of talks, cultural insights, live shows and tastings, with a twofold aim. On one hand, telling the story of Pavia and its province through stories, personalities and excellences that look beyond local borders; on the other, giving residents a reason to leave the house, meet one another and reclaim one of the city's most distinctive spaces.

The festival opens on Friday 4 September with a day that brings together the many voices of the event from the very start: the opening of the “Riverscapes” exhibition, a talk on ChipsIT and Pavia's role as Italy's microchip capital with Francesco Svelto, vice-president of the Cnr, an in-depth look at Classese — the new name for the Oltrepò Pavese's classic method wines — and, in the evening, the concert “Guarda che luna, senti che swing” with Andres Villani e i Banditi dello Swing.

Special Guests and the Key Themes of the 2026 Edition

Many leading figures are expected at the Broletto. Oscar Farinetti presents his book “Ulisse non deve morire”; Matthias Martelli, one of the most celebrated contemporary interpreters of Dario Fo's theatre, brings “Mistero Buffo” to the stage; historian Stefano Gasparri, of Ca' Foscari University in Venice, recounts the 774 siege of Pavia and Charlemagne's conquest of the Lombard kingdom; American writer Ben Pastor presents her novel “Lo specchio del pellegrino”.

The programme ranges from archaeology to history, from tourism to social media, from literature to reflections on how information is shaped and news is turned into spectacle, closing with an event dedicated to Saint Francis and his ties to Pavia. For the first time, the festival also hosts an evening curated and promoted by La Provincia Pavese, titled “Permette signorina?”, dedicated to women. The programme also includes book presentations by Pavia-based writer Paolo Mazzarello and the volume “Collezioni” by Luigi Riganti and Furio Sollazzi.

Music and Live Shows

Plenty of room is also given to live performance, with events such as “I grandi classici”, a concert by Claudio Piscina in trio, a performance by Marco Guerzoni & The Greenlight Blues Band, and “Ma quanta bella gente”, an evening retracing 35 years of Fiò dla Nebia through the voices of its protagonists, stories and numerous videos.

Ticinum Gourmet: A Journey Through the Flavours of the Oltrepò

Ticinum Gourmet also returns every evening: the event dedicated to the flavours and wines of the local area. From around 7.45-8.00pm, a chef presents a dish paired with tastings from Oltrepò Pavese wineries, with space also given to rediscovering native and forgotten grape varieties. The guest chefs, participating wineries and menus for each evening will be announced in detail in the coming days.

Tastings are held at the Cortile del Broletto, in Piazza Vittoria, Pavia, with the following prices: dish and two glasses of wine €15.00, dish only €8.00, glass of wine €4.00.

Day-by-Day Programme

The complete schedule for the 6th edition of Ticinum Festival (September 4–12, 2026, Cortile Broletto, Piazza Vittoria, Pavia), including cultural events, evening performances, and the Ticinum Gourmet food and wine offerings:

Friday, September 4

• 17:00 – Opening of the Riverscapes exhibition, with Filippo Amati and Maria Cristina Barbieri (Pavia Cultural Policies Assessor).

• 18:00 – Opening ceremony of the 6th edition of the Ticinum Festival.

• 18:30 – ChipsIT: Why Pavia is the Microchip Capital, with Francesco Svelto (CNR Vice President, UniPv). Moderated by Carlo E. Gariboldi.

• 19:15 – Is It the Year of the Classese, an Opportunity for Oltrepò?, with Pier Filippo Frisa (Communications Manager, Consorzio Vini Oltrepò Pavese).

• 20:00 – Ticinum Gourmet:

  • In the kitchen: Confraternita del risotto

  • Wines: Cantine Scuropasso, Calatroni, Monsupello

• 21:00 – Guarda che luna, senti che swing, concert-show featuring Andres Villani and Banditi dello swing.

Saturday, September 5

• 18:00 – Presentation of the book Omero non deve morire, with authors Oscar Farinetti and Piercarlo Grimaldi. Moderated by Ilaria Fiorentini (Linguist, UniPv) and Stefano Maggi (Archaeologist, former UniPv).

• 19:15 – Archaeology in the Vineyard. Project presentation and crowdfunding launch for the reopening of archaeological excavations in Oltrepò, with Manuela Battaglia and Yuri Godino (Archaeologists).

• 20:00 – Ticinum Gourmet:

  • In the kitchen: Cooperativa sociale Balancin

  • Wines: Cantine Andrea Picchioni, Vigneti Massa, Bosco del Sasso

• 21:00 – Dario Fo's Mistero Buffo, featuring Matthias Martelli.

Sunday, September 6

• 17:45 – A Journey Through History, Photography, and Anniversaries of Our Region: The Books of Univers Edizioni, with Carlo Monteforte, Renata Crotti, Maria Lambro, Pier Vittorio Chierico, Luisa Marabelli, Francesco Barocci, Fabio Draghi, Filippo Amati, Piero Ventura, Davide Ramaioli, Manuele Riccardi, and Carlo Aguzzi. Moderated by Alessandro Repossi.

• 19:45 – Ticinum Gourmet:

  • In the kitchen: Chef Laura Chierico (Ristorante Ticino) featuring "Risotto DeCo di Carbonara al Ticino"

  • Wines: Cantine Davide e Valter Calvi, Maria Cristina Risi

Monday, September 7

• 18:30 – Ticinum, a Little Rome, with Elvira Migliario (Historian, University of Trento) and Stefano Maggi (Archaeologist, former UniPv). Moderated by Mauro Querci.

• 20:00 – Ticinum Gourmet:

  • In the kitchen: Risotto by Chef Riccardo Carnevali

  • Wines: Tasting table with FIVI Oltrepò Winemakers

• 21:00 – Il tempo di un caffè. Preview of the Pasticceria Vigoni promotional video, with Claudia Palermiti (Director) and Enrico Magenes (Pasticceria Vigoni).

• 21:15 – Pavia: Tourism, Overtourism, and Undertourism, with Andrea Zatti (Economist, UniPv), Michele Lissa (Mayor of Pavia), and Giovanni Palli (President of the Province of Pavia). Moderated by Daniele Fabbri.

Tuesday, September 8

• 18:30 – Banning Social Media, with Marianna Bruschi (Deputy Director / Head of Digital @ SkyTg24), Maria Cristina Barbieri (Pavia Cultural Policies Assessor), and Luca Pirotta (Liceo Cairoli).

• 20:00 – Ticinum Gourmet:

  • In the kitchen: Osteria del Giuse (Stradella)

  • Wines: Cantine Isimbarda, Sabaghina, Travaglino

• 21:00 – The Great Classics, concert by the Claudio Piscina Trio.

Wednesday, September 9

• 18:30 – Presentation of the book L'assedio di Pavia. 774. Carlo Magno conquista il regno longobardo. Author Stefano Gasparri (Historian, Ca' Foscari University of Venice) in conversation with Mauro Querci.

• 20:00 – Ticinum Gourmet:

  • In the kitchen: Chef Andreia Saito from Acquamatta (Semiana)

  • Wines: Tasting table with the producers of "La Mossa Perfetta"

• 21:00 – Quand fa cold a Pavia: 35 Years of Fïò dla nebia, told through video clips by the main figures. Hosted by Paolo Zanocco.

Thursday, September 10

• 18:30 – Garlasco and the Sensationalism of News, with Giuseppe Mazza (UniMi) and Maria Fiore (La Provincia Pavese).

• 20:00 – Ticinum Gourmet:

  • In the kitchen: Chef Valerio Bergamini

  • Wines: Cantine Bisi and Fiamberti

• 21:00 – Permette signorina?, an evening organized by La Provincia Pavese, with Director Manila Alfano.

Friday, September 11

• 18:30 – Presentation of the book Lo specchio del pellegrino (Sellerio). Author Ben Pastor in conversation with Gianni Sacco and Stefano Maggi.

• 20:00 – Ticinum Gourmet:

  • In the kitchen: La Casa del SorRiso – Risotteria (Redavalle)

  • Wines: Biodiversity of Oltrepò, forgotten grape varieties (Uva Rara, Moradella, Riesling Italico, Uva della Cascina, Vespolina). Wineries: Pietro Torti, Piccolo Bacco dei Quaroni, Montelio, Vercesi del Castellazzo.

• 21:00 – Blues Notes: A Hundred Years of Music That Changed Music, with Marco Guerzoni and the Greenlight Blues Band.

Saturday, September 12

• 18:00 – Presentation of the book Una punizione esemplare (Hoepli). Author Paolo Mazzarello (Writer, UniPv) in conversation with Maria Grazia Piccaluga.

• 19:00 – Presentation of the book Collezioni. Authors Luigi Riganti and Furio Sollazzi in conversation with Roberto Torti.

• 20:00 – Ticinum Gourmet:

  • In the kitchen: Cà del Saggia (Redavalle)

  • Wines: Tasting table with producers from the Club del Buttafuoco Storico

• 21:00 – Closing concert featuring Nebeling, Trillydorme, Back to the Beatles, The Blackbetties, and Scrimshankers.

Ticinum Gourmet Pricing & Details

• Food dish + 2 wine tastings: €15.00

• Single food dish: €8.00

• Glass of wine: €4.00

Practical Information

Ticinum Festival is organised by Ticinum Festival under the patronage of the City of Pavia and with the support of the Fondazione della Comunità di Pavia, Cotefa Ingegneri Architetti, Winterass, Polo Tecnologico and several private sponsors. Maria Cristina Barbieri, the City of Pavia's Councillor for Cultural Policies, highlighted that every year, as activities resume in September, the administration offers residents many opportunities to take part for free in talks, concerts and debates in the Broletto courtyard, pointing in particular to the evening dedicated to the highly topical issue of whether or not to restrict young people's access to social media.

Talks, debates and shows at the festival are free to attend; Ticinum Gourmet tastings are ticketed, according to the price list above.

Getting There

The Broletto overlooks Piazza Vittoria, in the heart of Pavia's historic centre, a short walk from the Duomo and within walking distance of Pavia railway station, which is well connected to Milan.