Festival dei Saraceni

A history dating back to 1968

The Festival dei Saraceni is considered the dean of Italian festivals dedicated to early music. It was founded in 1968 in Pamparato, a village in the Casotto Valley nestled in the Monregalese mountains, in the province of Cuneo, in the heart of Piedmont. The success of the first classical music concerts prompted the organizers to establish the Stanislao Cordero Musical Institute the following year, forever linking the village's name to the great tradition of classical music.

Early music among churches and oratories

The heart of the festival is baroque and early music, performed on period instruments according to the criteria of historically informed performance practice. Concerts take place in venues of great artistic value: the Church of San Biagio in Pamparato, with its 1872 Barchietti organ, the Oratory of Sant'Antonio, as well as venues in the neighboring towns of Garessio and Mondovì. The festival typically offers a dozen events spread between July and August, featuring masterpieces by Pasquini, Lully, Muffat, Scarlatti, Corelli, and Vivaldi.

An international school of early music

Alongside the concerts, the festival hosts international courses and masterclasses that attract students from all over Europe. The "Cadenze Barocche" courses are dedicated to harpsichord, baroque flute, baroque violin, lute, theorbo, and baroque singing, with a faculty of specialized musicians. Students then participate in the closing concerts, in a continuous dialogue between teaching and performance that is the hallmark of the event.

Organization and local roots

The festival is organized by the Academia Montis Regalis Foundation of Mondovì, one of Italy's leading institutions for early music, in collaboration with the Municipality of Pamparato. The event is an integral part of the cultural offering of the GAL Mongioie territory and contributes to enhancing a mountain area of great scenic charm.

Why it's worth the trip

• The oldest Italian early music festival, active without interruption since 1968.
• Concerts on period instruments in historic churches and oratories of the Casotto Valley.
• International courses and masterclasses open to musicians of all ages.
• An opportunity to discover an authentic corner of the Piedmontese mountains.