16^th Edition International Poetry Festival
Artistic direction of Laura Garavaglia

May 8, 9 and 10, 2026

VILLA GALLIA
UNIVERSITÀ DELL’UNIVERSITÀ DELL’INSUBRIA
LICEO TERESA CICERI
LICEO ORSOLINE SAN CARLO

The theme of Sport and Poetry chosen for this year’s festival is far more than a stylistic exercise; it is an ideal bridge toward the founding values of the Schuman Declaration. In 1950, Robert Schuman envisioned a Europe where resources like coal and steel were no longer causes for war, but tools for sharing. Today, sport and poetry operate on that same universal plane:
In Sport: Rules are universal, transcending nationality.
In Poetry: The language of emotion bypasses linguistic frontiers.
Together, they embody the EU motto "United in Diversity," turning competition and poetic exchange into instruments of dialogue rather than conflict.
The construction of the European Union has always been a marathon, not a sprint. It requires endurance, a commitment to compromise, and a long-term vision.

Poetry is the training of the word; sport is the poetry of the body in motion.

Both disciplines require a metron (a measure) and extreme rigor. If Schuman laid the foundations for a "de facto solidarity," this festival celebrates that solidarity through the beauty of the athletic gesture narrated through verse. The European Anthem, based on Schiller’s Ode to Joy, celebrates universal brotherhood. In this edition of Europa in Versi, sport is interpreted as a modern epic.
This year, Europa in Versi establishes a special bond with Fondo Verri in Lecce: a cultural twinning born to let the words of poetry flow across the entire Peninsula, ideally uniting North and South in one great, shared song. A weekend dedicated to the encounter between the rhythm of the word and the energy of athletic movement, set against the enchanting backdrop of Lake Como and the city of Lecce—a city that seems sculpted directly by the sun and the winds of Salento."

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Liceo Teresa Ciceri e Orsoline San Carlo
(students only)

The athletic gesture as a poetic and life metaphor.
Students present works inspired by the poets’ writings, created during the school year. Poetry readings by the poets and dialogue with students.

3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Aula Magna Università degli Studi dell’Insubria
via Sant’Abbondio 12, Como
Incontro tra poeti e studenti

When I Was Cassius
Encounter with SKY TV sports journalist Fabio Tavelli.
Tavelli combines sports journalism with artistic storytelling, retracing the life of the boxer from Prince Cassius to the myth of Muhammad Ali.
Presented by Stefano Donno, Publisher of I Quaderni del Bardo
Round table and discussion between poets and university students, in collaboration with Prof. Elena Valentina Maiolini.
Guest speakers include literary critic Roberto Galaverni (Corriere della Sera) and Prof. Gianmarco Gaspari.

2:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Park and halls of Villa Gallia, Passeggiata Lino Gelpi, Como

Poetic Flash Mob
A poetic flash mob featuring readings of sports-themed poems by renowned poets of the past, performed by students of the Orsoline San Carlo High School. Coordinated by Prof. Edoardo Convertino.

International Poetry Reading by guest poets
Poetry readings by guest poets from different countries, exploring the theme Poetry and Sport.
Introduced by Roberto Galaverni, literary critic and cultural journalist for La Lettura (Corriere della Sera).

Awards Ceremony for winners and finalists of the Europa in Versi e in Prosa Prize Awards ceremony for the winners of the Europa in Versi e in Prosa Prize, with prizes presented by the Jury.
Presidents of the Jury: Poet Milo De Angelis and Prof. Gianmarco Gaspari.

10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Departure: 10.00 from Hangar Aeroclub, Como, Viale Puecher

Magnanimo Champion – A Walk Between Poetry and Sport
In collaboration with the Sentiero dei Sogni Association
Poetry readings by invited poets on the theme of sport during a walking itinerary.
Coordinated by Pietro Berra President of Sentiero dei Sogni Association.

Free admission subject to availability

lacasadellapoesiadicomo@gmail.com | +39 3711092926