Borghi in Dialogo — 2nd Edition
The itinerant cultural festival of the lower Valle Maira, stopping in Roccabruna
About Borghi in Dialogo
A cultural festival fostering dialogue between the villages of Valle Maira
Borghi in Dialogo is an itinerant cultural event that brings the lower Valle Maira, in the province of Cuneo, to life, involving three small alpine villages: San Damiano Macra (lead municipality), Cartignano, and Roccabruna. For a few days, these Piedmontese towns transform into a widespread stage for author talks, photography exhibitions, concerts, guided hikes, and family workshops. It is a precious opportunity to discover authentic corners of the Cuneo mountains, far from mass tourism circuits, and to reflect together on themes close to the hearts of alpine communities.
Roccabruna and Borgata Norat
In Roccabruna, the festival's events find a home in the characteristic Borgata Norat, one of the hamlets that best reflects the identity of this municipality in the Province of Cuneo, nestled at the entrance to the Valle Maira. Here, the festival brings creative workshops and meetings with authors and poets to an intimate setting where the village atmosphere becomes part of the cultural experience itself. Roccabruna thus contributes, with its stop, to the choral and itinerant formula that is the hallmark of Borghi in Dialogo.
Born from the 'Borghi ritrovati' project
The festival is promoted as part of the Borghi ritrovati project, funded by the PNRR (Mission 1, Component 3 – Investment 2.1, Attractiveness of historic villages). San Damiano Macra is the lead entity, with Cartignano and Roccabruna as partner municipalities: the three villages have become hubs for culture, ecology, and well-being. The initiative is intended as a mountain-focused continuation of the better-known Il Ponte del Dialogo festival in Dronero, with the goal of using culture as a lever to revitalize the territory and tell the story of the valley to both residents and visitors.
A widespread formula in the lower valley
The festival's strength lies in its itinerant nature: each day takes place in a different village, inviting the public to travel and get to know the entire lower Valle Maira. Cartignano opens the festival, San Damiano Macra hosts the busiest days, and Roccabruna closes the journey with its workshops in Borgata Norat. The common thread is always dialogue: between generations, between disciplines, and between the past and future of these Piedmontese valleys. A small but significant festival that proves how even the most secluded villages can become places of encounter and culture.
Borghi in Dialogo — edition 2026
The second edition of Borghi in Dialogo confirms the itinerant formula in the three villages of the lower Valle Maira, in the province of Cuneo. It starts on Thursday, June 11 in Cartignano and continues in San Damiano Macra from Friday, June 12 to Sunday, June 14, with a final widespread event on Sunday, June 21 between San Damiano Macra and Roccabruna. For Roccabruna, the appointment is in Borgata Norat, with a workshop dedicated to podcasting and storytelling. The days weave together literature, current events, Occitan culture, music, nature, and activities for families, and also mark the inauguration of new spaces regenerated thanks to the Borghi ritrovati project.
Programme Borghi in Dialogo 2026
Sunday, June 21 — Roccabruna, Borgata Norat
- 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM — Free workshop Podcasting: the voice of storytelling, with Chiara Deiana and Gianmarco Perale. Mandatory booking via email to [email protected].
Other festival days
Thursday, June 11 — Cartignano
- 9:00 PM — Multipurpose structure (Via Copetto): Paolo Paci presents the book La montagna delle illusioni.
Friday, June 12 — San Damiano Macra
- 9:00 PM — Ala del Pelerin: Luca Romano ("L'Avvocato dell'Atomo") on Nuclear power and the challenges of the energy transition.
Saturday, June 13 — San Damiano Macra
- 9:30 AM — Inauguration of photography exhibitions dedicated to the memory of the hamlet.
- 11:00 AM — Inauguration of the Ala del Pelerin and the Civic Library.
- 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM — Literary presentations and meeting Myths and realities of the Occitan language.
- 9:00 PM — Parish Church: concert Arias between words and music, with soprano Elda Giordana and pianist Federico Bersia.
Sunday, June 14 — San Damiano Macra
- 10:00 AM — Excursion to Frazione Pagliero and inauguration of the GTA Point (mandatory booking).
- 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM — Literary presentations with local authors and meeting with Mauro Garofalo on L'ultima foresta.
Sunday, June 21 — San Damiano Macra
- 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM — Creative workshop for families with children aged 6 to 11.
Highlights Borghi in Dialogo 2026
Prices Borghi in Dialogo 2026
Practical information — Borghi in Dialogo
How to get there
Roccabruna can be reached by car from Cuneo in about 25 km, heading up towards Dronero and the entrance to the Valle Maira. The festival stop takes place in Borgata Norat, a hamlet of the municipality; the other days of the festival are held in San Damiano Macra and Cartignano, further up along the SP422 road.
Admission
Events are free and open to the public. Some activities, such as workshops, require mandatory booking.
Information and contacts
For the updated program and bookings: official website of the Borghi ritrovati Valle Maira project (www.borghiritrovativallemaira.it) and email [email protected].
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Where does it take place — Borghi in Dialogo
Borgata Norat
Borgata Norat, 12020 Roccabruna