ARENA SFERISTERIO ASSOCIATION

The Arena Sferisterio Association – Teatro di tradizione was founded on 22^nd December 1986 by the Municipality of Macerata and the Province administration “with the aim of promoting and organising festivals, opera seasons, and other artistic and cultural events”. On 15^th October 1991, after only five years, the Association became a legal entity under Ministerial decree and since the summer of 1993, it has been managing the opera seasons of the Arena Sferisterio, succeeding the Municipality of Macerata.

In 1973, the Association was accredited the status of “teatro di tradizione” (literally “theatre of tradition”) by the Ministry of Culture, in accordance with the provisions of the Italian Law No. 800 issued on 14^th August 1967 and the Italian Ministerial Decree issued on 9^th November 2007 establishing the assessment criteria as well as the procedure for awarding grants. In accordance with the Italian Law No. 800/67, the above-mentioned status can be acquired only by those Italian theatres which strongly promote and preserve local artistic and musical traditions. 

Since 2025, the new Statute of the Arena Sferisterio Association has provided for the appointment of a representative designated by the Italian Ministry of Culture (MiC) to its Board of Directors.

In 2026, the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, awarded the Gold Medal for Merit in Culture and Art as his official award of recognition to the sixth edition of Sferisterio Scuola, the Festival’s educational project.