Conservare e valorizzare le arti performative nei contesti carcerari

Un caso di studio: l’Archivio Compagnia della Fortezza

Abstract

The preservation of intangible cultural heritage responds to the need to prevent it from being forgotten and to ensure its transmission across generations. In hidden and marginalized contexts, such as total institutions, the creation of archives that document cultural practices not only enables knowledge transmission but also creates a bridge with the external society.
The article examines the case study of Compagnia della Fortezza, led by director Armando Punzo, which has been working in the Volterra’s Prison for over thirty years. The archive of Compagnia della Fortezza represents a cultural and artistic heritage of inestimable value for the history of prison theatre and contemporary theatre in Italy and Europe. The company’s archive is preserving the memory and legacy of a pioneering experience, which has transformed a correctional institution into a cultural one.