Narrazioni Parallele Festival

A festival bridging mountains and city

The Narrazioni Parallele Festival is one of the most original cultural offerings of the Piedmontese summer: an itinerant, multidisciplinary event that blends classical and contemporary music, theatre, dance, contemporary circus, visual arts, and sound design. The common thread is the dialogue between Mountain and City, between sound and matter, and between alpine tradition and cutting-edge technology. The performances are designed as immersive, participatory experiences, tailor-made for the venues that host them.

Bardonecchia, the festival's alpine heart

Among the festival's stops, Bardonecchia (Province of Turin, Upper Susa Valley) holds a special place. Here, performances move out of conventional theatres and into alpine hamlets and historic sites: the hamlet of Rochemolles, the Tur d'Amun archaeological site, and the Palazzo delle Feste become open-air stages. This is the most fascinating aspect of the event: every show is radically site-specific, born from the location itself and enhancing its memory and landscape.

A site-specific and participatory vision

The artistic direction is led by composer and conductor Willy Merz, supported by Claudia Lupo, while the general management is handled by Roberto Beccaria, the creator of Scenario Montagna. The project aims to transform historic sites, alpine landscapes, and urban spaces into artistic experiences, involving the audience as an integral part of the performance. The festival spans a broad summer window, connecting Turin (with venues such as the Fondazione Merz and the Polytechnic), the Fort of Fenestrelle, and Bardonecchia, creating a cultural itinerary that traverses Piedmont from the cities to the peaks.

Why it's worth it

For those visiting the Piedmontese Alps in summer, Narrazioni Parallele is an opportunity to experience the mountains in a different way: not just hiking and nature, but also great music and auteur theatre in breathtaking settings. The combination of international artists, unique locations, and contemporary artistic languages makes every evening an unrepeatable event, in close contact with the community and the territory of Bardonecchia.