Attraverso Festival — Rocchetta Palafea

A festival spread across the UNESCO hills

Attraverso Festival is one of the most beloved cultural events in southern Piedmont: an itinerant festival that has been bringing theatre, music, literature, scientific popularization, and philosophy to the villages of the Asti, Alessandria, and Cuneo provinces for over a decade. The festival chooses the wine-growing landscapes of Langhe-Roero and Monferrato—a UNESCO World Heritage site—as its backdrop, turning them into a vast open-air stage where culture and territory engage in a constant dialogue.

Attraverso in Rocchetta Palafea

Among the nearly thirty municipalities involved is Rocchetta Palafea, a small hillside town in the Province of Asti overlooking the Monferrato vineyards. Here, performances are staged at the Saracen Tower, an ancient bulwark that dominates the village and provides the ideal setting for the festival's evenings. The program combines philosophical discourse with spoken-word theatre, featuring artists capable of engaging a wide audience without sacrificing depth.

A "pop" festival in the noblest sense

The artistic directors, Paola Farinetti and Simona Ressico, describe the festival as "pop" because—they explain—"pop comes from people": the goal is to speak to everyone through laughter, music, theatre, and reflections on the present. Over the years, the lineup has hosted leading names from the Italian cultural scene, alternating acoustic concerts, monologues, readings, and meetings with writers and public speakers.

The territory as a protagonist

Participating in Attraverso Festival in Rocchetta Palafea also means discovering an authentic corner of Piedmont: the hills of the Asti Monferrato, its wines, farming traditions, and the hospitality of its small villages. The itinerant format invites visitors to travel from town to town, experiencing culture as a journey through wine country. For the visitor—whether Italian or international—it is the perfect opportunity to combine a major cultural event with the exploration of a landscape unique in the world.

• Where: Saracen Tower, Rocchetta Palafea (Province of Asti, Piedmont)
• When: During the summer season (July–September)
• What: Spoken-word theatre, educational talks, poetry, and live music