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Event date:11/09/2026 at 6:00 pm
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Event end:13/09/2026 at 6:00 pm
Bolsena: a living permaculture community.
Three days of workshops, art, and collective projects on the shores of Europe’s largest volcanic lake to rediscover the interdependence between humanity and nature.
The city of Bolsena is set to host the 2026 Permaculture Festival from September 11 to 13, featuring three days of ecological regeneration, participatory design and the creation of resilient communities.
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Bolsena: a living permaculture community. Three days of workshops, art, and collective projects on the shores of Europe’s largest volcanic lake to rediscover the interdependence between humanity and nature.
The city of Bolsena is set to host the 2026 Permaculture Festival from September 11 to 13, featuring three days of ecological regeneration, participatory design and the creation of resilient communities.
There is a way of inhabiting the world that does not consume, but regenerates; that does not isolate, but creates connections. This is the vision of permaculture, a systemic approach that integrates agriculture, architecture, ecology and the care of human relationships. For three days, Bolsena – the “pearl of the Tuscia region” – will be transformed into an open-air laboratory, welcoming experts, professionals, students and citizens eager to co-design a sustainable future.
The Festival, founded in 2014 by architect and permaculture designer Luca Puri, seeks to translate the three ethics of permaculture into concrete action: Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share. The Festival merges theory with practice, offering both seminars and practical workshops ranging from green building to landscape design, and from sustainable water management to resilient agriculture – capable of producing food without artificial irrigation, all while respecting local ecosystems.
Bolsena will be more than just the backdrop to the event; it will be an active agent of change. In the months leading up to the Festival, residents will have the opportunity to attend a free 72-hour Permaculture Design Course. Furthermore, two public spaces will be transformed through “training workshops”, returning to the community regenerated areas that have been designed according to principles of environmental and social sustainability.
Bolsena: a living permaculture community. Three days of workshops, art, and collective projects on the shores of Europe’s largest volcanic lake to rediscover the interdependence between humanity and nature.
The Festival is deeply intertwined with art and social collaborations. Thanks to the synergy with local associations, the event will host an exhibition by Annie Ratti, inspired by her research on extinct species from the 20th and 21st centuries. Eco- social artist Luca Gnizio, in collaboration with the Department of Social Policies, will oversee the creation of the official Festival t-shirts and a collective artwork that will involve citizens directly, merging creativity, recycling, participation and civic engagement.
Admission to the event will be free of charge, in keeping with the principles of care and reciprocity that guide the entire project, made possible by the commitment and voluntary work of all the professionals involved. Participation in the practical workshops will involve a symbolic contribution.
The Festival serves as a replicable experimental prototype: a model of collaborative permaculture that can be adapted to other communities through structured, participatory processes.
- We want Bolsena to set the stage for a different way of living, says founder Luca Puri.
- Permaculture is not just about agriculture: it is a way of designing how we live and how we build community. This Festival is a shared act of generosity, meant to inspire concrete change.
Bolsena: a living permaculture community. Three days of workshops, art, and collective projects on the shores of Europe’s largest volcanic lake to rediscover the interdependence between humanity and nature.
Promoted and organized by: Architect Luca Puri for IDEA Cultural Association In collaboration with: ProLoco Bolsena
Public Supporter: Municipality of Bolsena
Private Supporter: Macrolibrarsi
Main Partners: Italian Permaculture Academy AIP, Squola Praticante With the support of: Triplosound Festival, Visit Bolsena, Zebra Farm Educational Partners: L’albero delle mele, Cooperativa il Quadrifoglio
Cultural Partners: Centro Musicale Bolsena, Coro Polifonico SS Salvatore di Bolsena, Piccolo Coro L’Incanto, Compagnia delle Lavandaie della Tuscia, Sbandieratori e Musici Monaldeschi Bolsena, Bolsena Ricama, Basilica Santuario di Santa Cristina
Contacts: festivaldipermaculturabolsena@gmail.com
