Corti, Chiese e Cortili

Forty years of music in the Bolognese hills

Born in 1986 from an idea by Teresio Testa, "Corti, Chiese e Cortili" is one of the longest-running and most beloved music festivals in Emilia-Romagna. Every summer, it transforms churches, courtyards, villas, and historic sites in the Colli Bolognesi into spread-out stages where music dialogues with architecture and landscape. In 2026, the event reaches the prestigious milestone of its 40th edition, with a program of twenty-four concerts running from June 6th to September 4th.

Five Municipalities, a single sound itinerary

The festival involves five Municipalities in the Reno Lavino Samoggia Cultural District: Valsamoggia, Casalecchio di Reno, Monte San Pietro, Sasso Marconi, and Zola Predosa. In Monte San Pietro, in the heart of the Province of Bologna, concerts come alive in highly evocative locations such as the Badia del Lavino, the Church of San Martino in Casola, the Church of San Giovanni Battista, Mongiorgio Castle, and the Rivabella farm, offering audiences evenings where music blends with the rural and historical identity of the territory.

A program that spans genres

The program for the 40th edition ranges from classical to sacred music, from opera to jazz, as well as folk and early music. Among the artists announced for the fortieth anniversary edition are violinist Alessandro Quarta, jazz pianist Joey Calderazzo, guitarist Eleonora Strino, and the Orchestra Senzaspine. The festival also features five original productions and a series of guided tours #CCCSvela, which accompany spectators in discovering the concert venues.

The new International Violin Competition

To celebrate its fortieth anniversary, the 2026 edition inaugurates the "Giuseppe Fiorini" International Violin Competition, dedicated to the renowned luthier from the area. The jury is chaired by Laura Marzadori, first violin of the Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. The festival thus renews its commitment to uniting great performers, young talents, and the enhancement of the cultural and landscape heritage of the Bolognese hills.

An experience between music and landscape

What makes "Corti, Chiese e Cortili" unique is precisely its setting: each concert is an opportunity to discover a hidden corner of the Apennines and the Bolognese hills, among Romanesque parish churches, castles, and cellars. A formula that attracts thousands of spectators each year and, after forty years, remains fresh and capable of renewal.