Burattinarte in Piobesi d'Alba

Puppet theatre comes to Piobesi d'Alba

Every summer, the Burattinarte Summertime festival transforms the courtyards, squares, libraries, and villages of the Langhe and Roero into open-air stages dedicated to puppet theatre. Among the towns hosting the festival is Piobesi d'Alba, a small village in the Roero area of the Cuneo province (Piedmont), overlooking the vineyard-covered hills that frame the UNESCO-listed Langhe region.

In Piobesi d'Alba, the show takes place in the Elementary School Courtyard, an intimate and familiar space that becomes the ideal setting for an evening of popular theatre. Like all Burattinarte Summertime events, admission is free and designed for an intergenerational audience: children, teenagers, families, and fans of marionettes and puppets.

An international festival spread across the territory

Organized by the Burattinarte Cultural Association of Alba and directed by Claudio Giri and Consuelo Conterno, the festival brings together Italian and international companies—in recent years from Argentina, Cuba, Chile, and Switzerland—for a program that alternates between puppets, marionettes, live-action theatre, parades, workshops, and interactive game installations.

The Piobesi d'Alba stop is part of a widespread program that, from late June to early September, visits numerous towns in the area: Alba, Bra, La Morra, Cherasco, Grinzane Cavour, Castagnito, Novello, Murazzano, Lequio Berria, Guarene, and Piobesi d'Alba itself. It is a wonderful way to discover the Roero and Langhe territory, blending culture, tradition, and landscape.

"The Seven-Headed Dragon" by the Pupi di Stac company

The star of the evening in Piobesi is a classic of Italian puppet theatre: "The Seven-Headed Dragon" by the historic Florentine ensemble Pupi di Stac, directed by Giulio Casati. The fairy tale tells the story of Gianni, a young fisherman who, after catching a magical fish, receives a seashell, a rusty sword, and a faithful dog as gifts. With these allies, he faces a thousand adventures until he defeats the terrible dragon threatening the kingdom.

Why it's worth attending

Puppet theatre is one of the oldest and most popular forms of live performance. It returns to Piobesi d'Alba with its unique ability to enchant both adults and children under the summer sky of the Roero. In case of bad weather, the show will take place in an indoor space. Booking via WhatsApp at the festival numbers is recommended.