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 Associazione Ermo Colle APS, which for over twenty years has brought theatre, poetry, music, and dance to places of great historical, artistic, and environmental interest generally not used for performances. Castles, churches, villages, courtyards, and clearings in the Parma Apennines transform into open-air stages for a few evenings, at the foot and in the heart of the mountains.

A competition between companies in the Parma territory

The event takes the form of a true palio: companies, selected each year through a public call, perform in various municipalities and compete for final prizes awarded by a jury of experts and the public. The shows, with free admission, are distributed across the 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. Each performance lasts between 45 and 60 minutes, followed by a moment of dialogue between artists and spectators, the «A tu per tu con Teatro» (Face to Face with Theatre).

The Neviano degli Arduini stop

In the Municipality of Neviano degli Arduini, in the heart of the mid-Apennine area of Parma, Ermo Colle finds some of its most evocative locations. The Romanesque Pieve di Sasso, with its Osservatorio della Memoria (Memory Observatory), hosts the poetic events of the festival, while the hamlet of Scurano, with the charming Corte Laurenti, has been one of the venues for the competitive theatre performances for years. Here, the magic of live theatre dialogues with the stone, the hilly landscape, and the history of the Apennines, in evenings that invite rediscovery of the village and its territory.

Prizes and spirit of the event

Each year, the palio awards several main prizes: the Audience Award (2,000 euros), the Critics' Award (2,000 euros), and the Ermo Colle Award (1,000 euros), dedicated to a company, a play, a performer, or an original musical composition. More than the competition, however, it is the spirit of encounter between artists and the public that defines the event: a close synergy between territory and art, capable of enhancing the cultural identity of Emilia-Romagna and its Apennine villages.

An outdoor festival to experience

• Theatre, poetry, and music performances with free admission
• Unusual venues: Romanesque churches, courtyards, castles, parks, and clearings in the Apennines
• A travelling event across the municipalities of the Province of Parma
• Summer, evening, and outdoor atmosphere, immersed in nature

Ermo Colle is an invitation to rediscover the Parma Apennines through culture, combining the beauty of the places with the power of live performance.