Crinali Festival — stages of Grizzana Morandi

Crinali, the festival you walk to

Crinali is one of the most original events of the Emilia-Romagna summer: a travelling festival that every year brings music, theatre, circus, and cinema along the trails and in the villages of the Bolognese Apennines. It's not a static programme in a square, but an experience lived by walking: you set off on foot accompanied by environmental guides, crossing woods, ridges, and ancient stone villages, and at the end of the route, you arrive at a concert or live performance, often in places that cannot be reached otherwise.

Stages in Grizzana Morandi

The Municipality of Grizzana Morandi, nestled between the Reno and Setta valleys in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, is one of the territories most featured in the Crinali programme. Here, the festival naturally connects with the identity of the place: it is the land of the painter Giorgio Morandi, who found the landscapes of his famous canvases in these very hills, and it is dotted with gems such as the Rocchetta Mattei, the sanctuary of Montovolo, and the medieval village of La Scola.

The walks in Grizzana Morandi touch the hamlets and historic centres of the area — from Savignano to Piandisetta, from Casa Morandi to the Montovolo ridge — alternating easy routes suitable for families with more challenging half-day excursions. Each stage combines the pleasure of walking with an artistic moment: concerts for small ensembles, shows for children, storytelling, and folk music in small country chapels.

A festival for everyone, slow and sustainable

Crinali has made environmental sustainability and accessibility its distinctive features: the festival offers slow-paced walks, sensory experiences designed also for visually impaired people, and routes suitable for children. The walks are limited in number and require booking, in order to preserve the tranquility of the trails and the direct relationship with nature.

Why experience it

• To discover the Bolognese Apennines by walking, far from the crowds.
• To listen to concerts and shows in otherwise silent chapels, villages, and ridges.
• To experience the places of Giorgio Morandi and the treasures of Grizzana Morandi with a new perspective.

The stages in Grizzana Morandi are part of the overall Crinali programme, which extends across numerous municipalities in the Bolognese Apennines and is included in the Bologna Estate programme, promoted by the Metropolitan City of Bologna and the Emilia-Romagna Region.