Segni e Passi

A project for the Monviso trails

Segni e Passi is a project aimed at enhancing the hiking and community heritage of Paesana, a town in the Po Valley in the Province of Cuneo, located in the heart of Piedmont at the foot of Monviso. Launched in 2025 with the support of the Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, the project is promoted by the Municipality of Paesana together with the Pro Loco Paesana, the Caracol cooperative, and the Valtemo Association. The goal is to reimagine the network of trails around the Paesana basin as a space for connection, slow tourism, and mountain stewardship.

Trails, communities, and mountains in transition

The project's central theme is mountains in transition: how to keep mountain paths, hamlets, and traditional knowledge alive in an era of change. Through co-design workshops, residents and experts have identified six itineraries covering different sides of the basin, some of which are designed to be accessible to people with reduced mobility and those with strollers.

The 2026 stages

The 2026 edition featured two free public events:

• March 13 and 14 — Friday evening at the Trattoria Valle Po in the Ghisola hamlet, an evening discussion with experts in trail management, tourism, and regional innovation, followed by a merenda sinoira (traditional afternoon snack/early dinner); Saturday morning, meeting at Piazza Vittorio Veneto for a walk along the local trails.
• April 18 — An afternoon combining walking, performance, and landscape in the Pian Vitun area (Agliasco): a roughly 5-kilometer hike on a dirt path to the Ferrere hamlet, brought to life by itinerant theater and live music, with a final snack offered to participants.

Theater, music, and landscape

The spring stage combines hiking with live performance: along the route, actors and musicians accompany the walkers, turning the trail into a sprawling stage set amidst meadows, woods, and hamlets. It is a way to tell the story of the mountains not just as a sporting destination, but as a cultural landscape made of history, crafts, and folk traditions.

An experience for everyone

Segni e Passi is designed for families, hikers, and curious visitors: the proposed routes are easy to navigate, and all events are free to attend. The project invites you to discover Paesana at a slow pace, from the Po River as it takes its first steps to the peaks that frame the valley, rediscovering the deep bond between the community and its mountains.