Les Italiennes de Clisson

Festival of Italian culture in Clisson

Clisson — Loire-Atlantique (44) Since 1997
Music Multidisciplinary
Tickets →
Les Italiennes de Clisson
Edition
2025
Les Italiennes

About Les Italiennes

Les Italiennes de Clisson is a multidisciplinary festival celebrating Italian culture in all its forms in the streets and squares of Clisson, a small town with unique Tuscan architecture in France. Organized since 1997 by the eponymous association founded in 1996, this biennial event offers an immersion into the Italian soul through concerts, street performances, film screenings, conferences, exhibitions, and culinary events. The festival highlights the exceptional architectural heritage of Clisson, a town rebuilt in the early 19th century on the Tuscan model by sculptor Frédéric Lemot and the Cacault brothers, and offers a program open to all, largely free, blending Italian and French artists in an atmosphere of dolce vita.
Dates 30 Jun — 06 Jul 2025
Location Clisson (44)
Prices Free
Status
Edition 2025

Les Italiennes — edition 2025

Tickets →
19th edition of Les Italiennes de Clisson, from June 30 to July 6, 2025. This year, the festival opens up to neighboring towns with events in Nantes, Gorges, and La Haye-Fouassière before the main weekend of July 5 and 6. The program includes concerts by Francesco Mercante and Duo Pa, a conference "Little Italy" by Bruno Rossetti, a film-debate, an Italian ball "Lato Lontaro," and free performances in the streets of Clisson.

19th Edition — Italy Shines Beyond Clisson

The 19th edition of Les Italiennes de Clisson is distinguished by its territorial openness. For the first time, the festival extends its program to the towns of Nantes, Gorges, and La Haye-Fouassière, enriching the week of Italian culture with various events before the big festive weekend of July 5 and 6 in Clisson.

Week Program

  • Monday, June 30 at 8:30 PM — Nantes: Aperitif concert with Francesco Mercante (€6)
  • Tuesday, July 1 at 8:30 PM — Gorges: Concert by Duo Pa and the choir Boccaloup (free)
  • Wednesday, July 2 at 7:30 PM — La Haye-Fouassière: Conference “Little Italy” by Bruno Rossetti and concert by the music school Vibrations (€6)
  • Thursday, July 3 at 8:30 PM — Clisson: Film-debate around the film There's Still Tomorrow (cinema ticket price)
  • Friday, July 4 at 7:30 PM — Clisson: Concert and Italian ball “Lato Lontaro” (free)
  • Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6 from 10 AM — Clisson: Free street performances and concerts in the streets and squares of the town center

Highlights Les Italiennes 2025

  • 19th edition — opening up to Nantes, Gorges, and La Haye-Fouassière
  • Concerts by Francesco Mercante, Duo Pa, and Boccaloup choir
  • Conference “Little Italy” by Bruno Rossetti
  • Italian ball “Lato Lontaro” on Friday evening
  • Weekend of free performances in the streets of Clisson on July 5 and 6
  • Film-debate around the film There's Still Tomorrow

Programme Les Italiennes 2025

Detailed Program

  • Monday, June 30 — Nantes: Aperitif concert Francesco Mercante
  • Tuesday, July 1 — Gorges: Concert Duo Pa + Boccaloup choir
  • Wednesday, July 2 — La Haye-Fouassière: Conference “Little Italy” (Bruno Rossetti) + concert by Vibrations music school
  • Thursday, July 3 — Clisson: Film-debate — There's Still Tomorrow
  • Friday, July 4 — Clisson: Italian ball “Lato Lontaro”
  • Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6 — Clisson: Street performances and concerts in the town center

Prices Les Italiennes 2025

Free access for weekend performances and concerts. Some weekday events at €6. Booking via HelloAsso.
Edition 2026

Les Italiennes — 2026 edition

The 2025 edition was held from 30 June to 6 July 2025. The dates for the 2026 edition have not been announced yet. This page will be updated as soon as the official programme is published.

Practical information

Practical information — Les Italiennes

Practical Information

Location

The festival takes place outdoors, in the streets and squares of Clisson town center (Loire-Atlantique), as well as in various heritage sites in the commune. Some events are also held in neighboring towns (Nantes, Gorges, La Haye-Fouassière).

Access

  • By car: From Nantes, take the N149 towards Clisson (approx. 35 minutes). Free parking near the town center.
  • By train: Clisson train station, served by TER from Nantes (approx. 30 minutes). The town center is a 5-minute walk from the station.

Prices

The majority of the weekend's performances and concerts are free and open access. Some weekday events (concerts, conferences, film-debates) are offered at a modest price of €6 or at the usual cinema rate. Booking possible via HelloAsso.

Contact

A tribute to Italy in the small Tuscan region of Nantes

Since 1997, the Les Italiennes de Clisson festival has celebrated the unbreakable ties between the town of Clisson and Italy every two years. Founded in 1996, the association Les Italiennes de Clisson organizes this event in a town whose Tuscan architecture — barrel tiles, fine bricks, pointed arches — is unique in France, a legacy of sculptor Frédéric Lemot and the Cacault brothers who, in the early 19th century, rebuilt the town devastated by the Vendée wars on the model of the landscapes of Tivoli, near Rome.

A multidisciplinary program in the heart of the city

The festival takes over the streets, squares, and heritage sites of Clisson's town center to offer a rich and varied program. Concerts of Italian music, street performances, film screenings, conferences on transalpine history and culture, exhibitions by artists, and culinary events punctuate several days of festivities. The program blends Italian and French artists, musical ensembles, street theater companies, and cultural speakers, offering an eclectic panorama of the culture of the Bel Paese.

An open and friendly festival

Les Italiennes de Clisson stands out for its accessibility: the majority of the weekend's performances and concerts are free and held outdoors, in a warm and family-friendly atmosphere inspired by the dolce vita. Recent editions have marked an opening towards neighboring towns — Nantes, Gorges, La Haye-Fouassière — with events held in advance of the main weekend, enriching the program with intimate concerts, film-debates, and conferences.

19 editions of Italian passion

Since its creation, the festival has had 19 editions which have allowed the local population to reclaim and identify with the Italian character of their town. Initially focused on folklore and traditions, the festival has gradually expanded its program to include street arts, contemporary music, cinema, and gastronomy, becoming a must-see event in Clisson's cultural life and a highlight of the Nantes vineyard region.

Where does it take place — Les Italiennes

Centre-ville de Clisson — Rues et places
26 rue de la Madeleine, 44190 Clisson

Les Italiennes in brief

Music Multidisciplinary Loire-Atlantique

History of Les Italiennes

Edition 2023 Jun 2023

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