Val Nure and Chero Festival 'Splinters of History' (opening in Vigolzone)

A festival that tells history to understand the present

The Val Nure and Chero Festival 'Splinters of History' is one of the most vibrant cultural reviews in the Piacenza Apennines. Organized by Fedro Cooperativa with the support of the Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano and the Department of Culture of the Emilia-Romagna Region, the festival was born in 2024 with a precise idea: to bring quality culture to where people live, in the often-overlooked villages of the valley, using history as a tool for aggregation and territorial development. The common thread is encapsulated in a phrase that gives meaning to the entire review: those who do not know history are condemned to repeat it.

Vigolzone, where it all begins

The Municipality of Vigolzone, in the province of Piacenza, hosts the opening evening of the festival in the evocative Piazza del Castello, at the foot of the medieval castle that dominates the village. It is here that, year after year, the review opens its doors with a major guest from the national scene, offering the community an evening of open-air discussion and thought. Vigolzone, overlooking the lower Val Nure and also known for its Colli Piacentini wines, thus becomes the gateway to a cultural journey that extends throughout the summer.

A widespread review across nine villages in the Val Nure

The festival is itinerant and travels through nine Municipalities in the valley — Vigolzone, Bettola, Carpaneto Piacentino, Farini, Ferriere, Podenzano, Ponte dell'Olio (lead municipality), Pontenure, and San Giorgio Piacentino — creating a calendar that runs from June to autumn. Each event takes place in a different location: historic squares, castles, Romanesque churches, farmhouses, and mountain trails become the stage for meetings, concerts, and dialogues. The project is structured around a core of meetings with prominent journalists, historians, philosophers, and writers, complemented by a satellite program of concerts, literary presentations, and theatrical readings.

What to expect

• Meetings with prominent national journalists, historians, writers, and communicators
• Concerts ranging from folk to jazz, from singer-songwriter to ensemble music
• Nature excursions with live music in the Apennines
• Tastings of Colli Piacentini wines and local valley products
• Guided tours of castles, churches, and historic sites in the Val Nure

All events are designed to be accessible: admission is free until capacity is reached, with the exception of some special paid events. This formula has allowed the festival to grow edition after edition, becoming a benchmark for summer cultural programming in the province of Piacenza and the Emilia-Romagna region.