Di-Se Illustration Festival
Contemporary illustration in the heart of the Ossola Valley
About Di-Se x BlitzArt
Domodossola: Capital of Illustration
Every spring, the Di-Se x BlitzArt Illustration Festival brings the best of the Italian and international contemporary illustration scene to Domodossola, the main hub of the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola province in Piedmont. Established in 2021 as part of the Interreg Italy-Switzerland project Di-Se – DiSegnare il territorio, the festival has grown into one of the most anticipated cultural events in Upper Piedmont, attracting artists, curators, and enthusiasts from across the country.
The Collegio Mellerio Rosmini and the Off-Circuit
The heart of the event lies within the evocative historic halls of the Collegio Mellerio Rosmini, which host the main exhibitions, performances, and talks. The festival then branches out into the historic center of Domodossola with an off-circuit that brings displays and installations to selected bookstores, local venues, and city landmarks, including the Contini Civic Library and the Museum of Natural Sciences. For a few days, the medieval streets of the town—via Motta, piazza Chiossi, and piazza Fontana—transform into a small Alpine Montmartre.
Art, Nature, and Sustainability
The festival is part of the Interreg Italy-Switzerland project SensibilizzArte – Art as a tool for awareness, a cross-border initiative that aims to unite art, nature, and tradition to promote sustainability and more conscious tourism. Each edition revolves around a theme that engages illustration with the landscape, memory, and identity of Alpine lands. Alongside the exhibitions, the public can enjoy creative workshops for all ages, talks with authors, guided tours, and the major Plein Air art market, where dozens of Italian and international artists work live in the streets of the center.
An Event for the Entire Ossola Valley
Organized by the Associazione Musei d'Ossola, the Di-Se Festival has become a landmark for the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola region and for anyone wishing to discover Domodossola and the Ossola Valley through the eyes of illustrators. Admission to the exhibitions is free, confirming the popular and educational vocation of an event that brings both adults and children closer to the language of drawing and contemporary art.
Di-Se x BlitzArt — edition 2026
The sixth edition of the Di-Se x BlitzArt Festival revolved around the theme "Living the Alps", a reflection on the relationship between humans and the mountains, the architectural heritage of small Alpine towns, and the possibilities for recovering and enhancing a landscape built over centuries with natural materials and traditional techniques. The event, with free admission, offered exhibitions, workshops, performances, and meetings between the Collegio Mellerio Rosmini and the historic center of Domodossola.
Programme Di-Se x BlitzArt 2026
Friday, March 27 — Inauguration
- 5:30 PM — Inauguration of the main exhibitions at the Collegio Mellerio Rosmini.
Saturday, March 28
- 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM — "Plein Air" art market in the streets of the historic center (via Motta, piazza Chiossi, piazza Fontana), with Italian and international artists working live.
- 9:00 PM — Live painting by Giovanni Robustelli with narration by Marco Steiner, a historic collaborator of Hugo Pratt, and book presentation.
Sunday, March 29
- Guided tour of Domodossola in the company of the illustrators.
Saturday, April 11
- 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM — Performance by young actors from the "Giorgio Spezia" High School with Shakespearean verses.
- 9:00 PM — Shakespeare evening in the Library of the Collegio Rosmini, with a performance by actress Paola Giavina accompanied by Doriana Spirito on guitar.
Main exhibitions at the Collegio Mellerio Rosmini
- Gloria Pizzilli — "Orlando Furioso and other illusions" (with the 2026 Epson calendar and the Wild Eden Tarot).
- Brad Holland — "From Shakespeare. Equal to dreams by nature", curated by Nuages Milano.
- Giovanni Robustelli — "The breath of the mountain", ink drawings created during a hike in Val Formazza.
Off-circuit
- "Convivio" by Marco Goran Romano and "Gargantua and Pantagruel" by Elisa Macellari, plus workshops (including one with Ilaria Zanellato).
Sunday, May 3 — Finissage
- 5:00 PM — Finissage with the presentation of initiatives for the twentieth anniversary of the Associazione Musei d'Ossola.
Highlights Di-Se x BlitzArt 2026
Prices Di-Se x BlitzArt 2026
Practical information — Di-Se x BlitzArt
Location
Collegio Mellerio Rosmini, Via Rosmini 24, Domodossola (VB). Scattered venues in the historic center: Contini Civic Library, Museum of Natural Sciences, via Motta, piazza Chiossi, and piazza Fontana.
How to reach us
Domodossola is accessible by train (international station on the Simplon line, with direct connections to Milan, Novara, and Switzerland) and by car via the A26 motorway to Gravellona Toce, then the SS33 Simplon state road.
Admission
Free admission to exhibitions. Some workshops and performances may require booking.
Contacts
Associazione Musei d'Ossola — email [email protected], tel. +39 339 8564243, website www.amossola.it.
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Where does it take place — Di-Se x BlitzArt
Collegio Mellerio Rosmini
Via Rosmini 24, 28845 Domodossola