FOROF
A new chapter of the
Contemporary Cultural Cafés
in collaboration with
La Setta dei Poeti Estinti
First event of 2026
Sunday, March 8, 2026, 6:00 PM
IL CANTO DELLE DONNE
A reading dedicated to female talent
Nine protagonists, between extraordinary poetry and exceptional lives
from Sappho and Emily Dickinson to Amelia Rosselli
An invitation to immerse oneself in a dimension that unites
literature, archaeology and contemporary art
Palazzo del Gallo di Roccagiovine
Foro Traiano, 1 – Rome
www.forof.it
Rome, February 23, 2026
The Roman cultural and artistic space founded by Giovanna Caruso Fendi — which preserves the precious archaeological remains of the Basilica Ulpia and since 2022 has hosted Italian and international artists with site-specific projects — presents at Foro Traiano 1 the first event of 2026 of the Contemporary Cultural Cafés, organized in collaboration with La Setta dei Poeti Estinti, invited to celebrate March 8 with the event Il canto delle donne, a reading entirely dedicated to women’s poetry.
At the center of the event is the rediscovery of some of the most important Italian and international women poets: Sappho, Sylvia Plath, Wisława Szymborska, Emily Dickinson, Emily Brontë, Alda Merini, Antonia Pozzi, Donata Doni and Amelia Rosselli, all great voices of world literature.
“Authors such as Emily Dickinson revolutionized the very idea of poetic interiority; Alda Merini transformed personal pain into a universal language; Wisława Szymborska showed how irony and precision can unmask the structures of power and habit; Sylvia Plath turned confession into an act of rupture and aesthetic power,” recalls Emilio Fabio Torsello, journalist and founder of the literary project La Setta dei Poeti Estinti.
Inspired by the cultural cafés of the early twentieth century — such as the Cabaret Voltaire founded by Hugo Ball and Emmy Hennings and the Bal Tic Tac, the first Futurist cabaret decorated by Giacomo Balla and inaugurated in Rome after World War I — the Contemporary Cultural Cafés of FOROF confirm with this new event their vocation for inspiration in a unique place in Rome, where archaeology enters into dialogue with contemporary art and where “culture becomes something to savour and share, with the active participation of the public,” as founder Giovanna Caruso Fendi explains.
Creating a connection also with the “silent” literary gatherings of New York, FOROF has chosen through the CCC format to dedicate a moment of reflection to the heroines of words and thought precisely on the day devoted to women, inviting participants to leave their phones silent and immerse themselves in a Silent Reading Party, quietly reading a prose or poetry book by a favourite female author.
At the heart of the event will be a guided tour of the space and of the current exhibition INFRASUPRA by Alicja Kwade, followed by an interpretative performance curated by Emilio Fabio Torsello and Mara Sabia, poet and partner of La Setta dei Poeti Estinti.
Within the spaces of Foro Traiano 1, the reading on March 8 will offer the opportunity to listen to the extraordinary voices of some of the greatest women writers of different eras, through their works and literary profiles: an invitation to share emotions and reflections, concluded with a final toast.
“We still carry patriarchy within us: today if we think of a chef we think of a man; if we think of an Olympic champion we think of a male athlete. Yet the image of our time shows Winter Olympic Games where women are the true protagonists. It is time to celebrate them together with the women poets we are rediscovering. In particular, given the history and location of FOROF, I would like to remember Plotina, the wife of Trajan, who played a decisive role in the adoption of Hadrian. Thanks to her we had one of the greatest emperors of ancient Rome,” emphasizes Giovanna Caruso Fendi.
LA SETTA DEI POETI ESTINTI
The idea of founding the literary circle La Setta dei Poeti Estinti was born in 2013 inspired by the film Dead Poets Society. What started as a Facebook page has grown over the years into one of the most prominent literary communities in Rome and Italy, with more than 400,000 followers across different social media platforms.
FOROF
FOROF is a unique institution in Rome that promotes dialogue between archaeology and contemporary art, history and experimentation, offering diverse services and an innovative cultural program. Founded by Giovanna Caruso Fendi in 2022, FOROF occupies the historic Palazzo del Gallo di Roccagiovine and preserves the coloured marble flooring of the Basilica Ulpia and the remains of its eastern apse (2nd century AD).
INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC
Admission by ticket purchase until seats are sold out:
Buy ticket
Ticket price: €18 full price | €15 under 26
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Foro Traiano, 1 – Rome
39 351 626 2553 | info@forof.it | www.forof.it
IG | FB: @forof.roma | @la_setta_dei_poeti_estinti