EUROLYS

Eurolys: Europe's youth at Colle del Lys

Eurolys is an experience of encounter, discovery, and debate that has brought together young Italians and Europeans since 1996 at Colle del Lys, a mountain pass at approximately 1,300 meters altitude between the lower Susa Valley and the Lanzo Valleys, in the territory of the Municipality of Rosta, in the province of Turin, in the heart of Piedmont. Born from the initiative of the Associazione Comitato Resistenza Colle del Lys, the meeting traditionally takes place on the first weekend of July, coinciding with the commemoration of the fallen of the Resistance.

Memory turned into commitment

Colle del Lys is a symbolic site of the partisan struggle: here, on July 2, 1944, dozens of young partisans of the 17th Garibaldi Brigade lost their lives. Eurolys was created specifically to pass on the memory of those years to new generations and transform it into a concrete commitment to peace, social justice, and democracy—the founding values of the Europe born from the Resistance against Nazi-fascism. The 2026 edition is dedicated in particular to the 81st anniversary of the Liberation and to exploring the themes of the June 2, 1946 Referendum, the Constituent Assembly, and the drafting of the Constitution.

How the meeting works

The heart of Eurolys consists of guided hikes led by partisans and witnesses of the Resistance along mountain trails, complemented by a rich range of activities:

• debates and round tables on memory, peace, the environment, and European citizenship;
• creative workshops in theater, music, painting, and poetry;
• walks along partisan paths and commemorative moments at the pass;
• evenings of discussion and socialization among participants.

Young people live the experience in a collective camping setting, with meals provided by the Rifugio Colle del Lys, in an environment that fosters sharing and the formation of new international friendships.

A European appointment

Since the first edition in 1996—with young people from Collegno, Neubrandenburg, and Sárospatak—Eurolys has grown to involve delegations from numerous European countries, including Germany, Hungary, Spain, Slovenia, France, Romania, Belgium, Portugal, North Macedonia, and the Netherlands. Since 2018, the opening to the Erasmus+ program has expanded participation to include young people not residing in twin cities. The initiative is part of the regional project "Piemonte per i Giovani" and is carried out in collaboration with numerous municipalities of the lower Susa Valley, schools, associations, and youth centers.

Rosta and Colle del Lys

The Municipality of Rosta, overlooking the Turin plain at the entrance to the Susa Valley, proudly hosts this event that brings young people from all over Europe to the Piedmontese mountains. Today, Eurolys is much more than a campsite: it is a living laboratory of citizenship, where the history of the Resistance becomes a tool for dialogue between peoples.