Fifteen sculptors transform Belluno's city center into an open-air workshop
Belluno Città del Legno is one of the most characteristic cultural events of Belluno's autumn. Its heart is the Ex Tempore di Scultura su Legno (Wood Sculpture Ex Tempore), born in 1986, which every November draws sculptors from all over Italy to the historic center of Belluno. For a few days, fifteen sculptors work live in the city's streets and squares, transforming blocks of wood into works of art before the eyes of passers-by.
The event turns Belluno's center into a large open-air workshop. The awards ceremony is held at Palazzo Crepadona, with prizes awarded by the juries of Confindustria Belluno Dolomiti, the press, and FIDAPA, in addition to the Città di Belluno Prize and the Children's Prize.
Alongside sculpture, the event offers tastings of pastìn — the typical Belluno meat paste — cultural conferences, exhibitions, and workshops. A recurring theme is the ritual masks of Dolomite culture, created in outdoor workshops in Borgo Piave and compared with traditional figures from Sappada, Rivamonte, and Fornesighe, and with Sardinia's Mamuthones and Boes. The event is organized by the Belluno Centro Storico Consortium and celebrates the artisan and woodland identity of the province of Belluno.
The 2026 edition of Belluno Città del Legno, featuring the 39th Ex Tempore di Scultura su Legno, begins on November 4th. For six days, from November 4th to 9th, fifteen sculptors create their works along the streets and squares of the historic center. This is a special edition as part of the lead-up to the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, bringing international attention to the cultural and artisanal roots of the territory.
The masks are the common theme of the edition, with an exhibition at the Palazzo Secco museum comparing traditional figures from Sappada, Rivamonte, and Fornesighe with Sardinia's Mamuthones and Boes.
Belluno is reachable by car from the A27 motorway (Belluno exit) and by train. Activities take place in the historic center and at Palazzo Crepadona.
Consorzio Belluno Centro Storico, Piazza dei Martiri 16, tel. +39 0437 215255, [email protected].
The live sculptures in the streets and squares are freely visible.
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Centro storico di Belluno - Palazzo Crepadona
Piazza dei Martiri 16, 32100 Belluno