Ermo Colle – Poetic, Theatrical, Musical Palio

Ermo Colle, the widespread palio of the Parma Apennines

Ermo Colle – Poetic, Theatrical, Musical Palio is a unique festival in the Italian scene, promoted by the Ermo Colle APS Association, which for over twenty years has brought theatre, poetry, music, and dance to places of great historical, artistic, and environmental interest generally not intended for performances. Castles, villages, parks, and clearings in the Parma Apennines transform for a few evenings into open-air stages, along the ancient routes of the Via Francigena and the Via del Sale.

A competition between companies in the Parma territory

The event takes the form of a true palio: theatre companies, selected each year through a public tender, perform in various municipalities and compete for final prizes, awarded by a jury and the public. The shows, with free admission, are distributed across the twelve municipalities of the Province of Parma participating in the project: Parma, Collecchio, Corniglio, Felino, Langhirano, Lesignano de' Bagni, Montechiarugolo, Neviano degli Arduini, Sala Baganza, Sorbolo Mezzani, Tizzano Val Parma, and Traversetolo.

The Corniglio stage

In the Municipality of Corniglio, in the upper Val Parma, Ermo Colle finds one of its most evocative settings. Performances are held in symbolic places of the town, such as the Castle of Corniglio, where the magic of live performance dialogues with stone, the mountain landscape, and the history of the Apennines. It is a precious opportunity to discover the village and its territory through an evening of theatre, poetry, and music.

Prizes and spirit of the event

The palio awards several main prizes: the Audience Award, the Critics' Award, and the Ermo Colle Special Prize. More than the competition, however, it is the spirit of encounter between artists and spectators that defines the event: a close synergy between territory and art, capable of enhancing the cultural identity of Emilia-Romagna and its Apennine villages.

A festival to be experienced outdoors

• Theatrical, poetic, and musical performances with free admission
• Unusual locations: castles, villages, parks, and clearings in the Apennines
• Itinerant event across twelve municipalities in the Province of Parma
• Summer, evening, and outdoor atmosphere, immersed in nature

Ermo Colle is an invitation to rediscover the Parma Apennines in a cultural context, combining the beauty of the places with the power of live performance.