Antiqua – Stella Splendens in Candia Canavese

A medieval concert in the heart of the Canavese

On June 21, 2026, the church of Santo Stefano del Monte in Candia Canavese (Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont) hosts one of the most anticipated events of the Antiqua early music season: the concert "Stella Splendens – Sacred and Profane in Medieval Music", performed by the Collegium Pro Musica ensemble. This is a stop on the 31st edition of the festival promoted by the Accademia del Ricercare, a benchmark for the rediscovery of medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque repertoires in Piedmont and Liguria.

Stella Splendens: between devotion and celebration

The concert title refers to Stella Splendens, one of the most famous lauds from the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat, the precious 14th-century codex linked to pilgrimages to the Catalan sanctuary. Around this iconic piece, Collegium Pro Musica builds a program that weaves together the sacred (lauds, pilgrimage songs, devotional polyphony) and the profane (dances, ballads, and melodies of the courtly tradition), reflecting the dual soul of medieval music, suspended between prayer and celebration.

The Antiqua festival

Now in its thirty-first season, Antiqua is a traveling festival that brings early music to churches, abbeys, and historic sites across the Turin area, the Canavese, and Liguria. The 2026 edition, titled "Where time becomes music and memory becomes emotion", offers a calendar of concerts characterized by philological rigor and interpretive depth, featuring ensembles specialized in historically informed performance. The church of Santo Stefano del Monte in Candia Canavese is one of the most beloved venues on the bill, thanks to its acoustics and the intimate atmosphere that enhances the timbres of early music.

Why it's worth attending

• A medieval music concert performed by an internationally acclaimed ensemble like Collegium Pro Musica.
• An evocative architectural setting: the church of Santo Stefano nestled in the hilly landscape of the Canavese.
• Free admission, in keeping with Antiqua's tradition of accessibility.
• The opportunity to discover a rare repertoire, far from conventional concert programs.

Candia Canavese, overlooking the lake of the same name and immersed in the greenery of the Canavese, also offers the chance to combine the concert with a day spent exploring the nature and historic villages of the province of Turin.