Orfeo in Giardino - Early Music Festival

A festival amidst the historic residences of Moncalieri

Orfeo in Giardino is an early music festival that brings the hills of Moncalieri, in the Province of Turin, Piedmont, to life every summer. The festival was born with a clear vision: to open up and showcase some of the historic residences scattered across the Moncalieri hills—villas and courtyards nestled in rural settings that safeguard the memory of the past and its traditions. In these often secret and inaccessible places, Renaissance and Baroque music becomes the perfect medium to enter a unique dimension where history, beauty, nature, and sound merge into a single immersive experience.

The format: gardens, villas, and early music

The festival's format combines the pleasure of being outdoors, the discovery of history-rich locations, and the timeless beauty of music that speaks to the soul. Each event takes place in the garden or courtyard of a different residence, transformed for the evening into a natural stage. The audience, welcomed into intimate spaces, can experience the concert in close contact with the performers and the surrounding landscape.

The repertoire and performers

The heart of the program is early music: Renaissance and Baroque compositions performed with philological attention and interpretative sensitivity. Featured composers include the great names of the European Baroque season, from Henry Purcell to Georg Friedrich Händel, and from Georg Philipp Telemann to other masters who explored the relationship between voice and instrument and the language of the emotions. The artistic direction is curated by the Accademia degli Umoristi, which brings together musicians specialized in historical performance practice.

The venues

Past editions have been held in various residences across the hills, including Villa Bersezio (once the home of the writer, journalist, and deputy Vittorio Bersezio), Villa Demorra, and the grounds of Castelvecchio, as well as vineyards and historic houses used in the inaugural editions. The festival is part of the Moncalieri d'estate program, the cultural event season organized by the Municipality of Moncalieri.

Why it's worth attending

• Early music concerts in venues usually closed to the public.
• An intimate, open-air atmosphere amidst historic gardens and courtyards.
• Free-will donation entry: culture accessible to everyone.
• A unique way to rediscover the heritage of the Moncalieri hills and the Piedmont region.