Echos. Places and Music — International Music Festival (concert in Sezzadio)

Echos in Sezzadio: great music at the Abbey of Santa Giustina

Echos. Places and Music is one of the longest-running and most appreciated classical music festivals in Piedmont. Founded in 1999 as a labor of love for a territory outside the major concert circuits, in nearly thirty years it has presented hundreds of concerts, enhancing over 120 historic sites in dozens of municipalities in the province of Alessandria. The festival is organized by the Associazione Musicale Ondasonora APS under the artistic direction of pianist Sergio Marchegiani.

The stop in the Municipality of Sezzadio

The municipality of Sezzadio, in the Province of Alessandria, hosts the festival in one of its most fascinating locations: the Abbey of Santa Giustina, a monastic complex now also known as Villa Badia. The abbey's origins date back to the 10th century, and the site preserves a crypt of great interest, a testament to the long religious and cultural history of the area. This is precisely the distinctive hallmark of Echos: bringing prominent performers to highly evocative places — churches, abbeys, castles, historic palaces, and wine cellars — restoring centrality to the smaller towns of Piedmont.

A festival spread across the territory

Each edition consists of about twenty concerts distributed across numerous municipalities in the Alessandria area, from the urban area of Alessandria to the villages of Monferrato and the Apennine valleys. Alongside big names on the concert scene, the festival provides space for young talents supported by dedicated scholarships and complements the main program with special projects and collaborations with local cultural institutions. The event is supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Piedmont Region, the Fondazione CRT, and the host municipalities.

Why it's worth it

• Classical music concerts with internationally acclaimed performers in unique historical and landscape settings.
• Free admission subject to availability for most events.
• The opportunity to visit the Abbey of Santa Giustina in Sezzadio, a monastic jewel that is often little-known.
• An experience that intertwines music, architectural heritage, and the landscape of the Alessandria area.