19.05.2026

“Sconfine” completed for the Cuneo Montagna Festival 

In the fourth edition of the event, the capital confirmed itself as an ideal laboratory for metropolitan reflection

The fourth edition of the Cuneo Montagna Festival (May 14-17) concluded with an evening of previews of Fredo Valla's new film "Hans Clemer. An Unauthorized Biography," which premieres in Elva on July 3. This edition lived up to its theme, "Borders Beyond," exploring time and language to address the metropolitan challenges of the capital. Organized by the Municipality of Cuneo, with the support and patronage of the Cuneo Chamber of Commerce, the Piedmont Region, Uncem Piemonte, and the Province of Cuneo, and in collaboration with many local partners, the event successfully raised awareness, questioned, and entertained a diverse audience.

The festival's choice to offer a wide range of workshops and experiential activities, from a writing workshop led by writer Davide Longo at the Casa del Fiume to forest bathing in the Parco della Resistenza, including a workshop on fantastic botany led by poet Francesco Terzago and a focus on natural orienteering led by geographer Franco Michieli and writer Linda Cottino in the Gesso and Stura River Park. This intimate dimension was complemented by engaging and moving events for a wider audience, such as the evenings with cross-country skiing legend Federico "Chicco" Pellegrino, who spoke candidly in conversation with Paolo Cornero, and with Valgrano trail runner Davide Rivero, for whom a solitary activity like mountain running is also a way to promote a sport accessible to all. 

On Saturday, May 16th and Sunday, May 17th, the Alpine village set up on Via Roma allowed those who work and promote the mountains to be appreciated by numerous visitors. The soundtrack was the Occitan notes emanating from Piazza Virginio, the setting for two well-attended events organized by the Occit'amo festival, featuring Sergio Berardo and his guests, including those from beyond the Alps, who kept enthusiasts dancing on both days. The Cuneo Montagna Festival also provided an opportunity to initiate or continue discussions of a specialized or institutional nature, such as the round table on the state of the art of trail running in the province of Cuneo and the mobility conference on Saturday, May 16th, which strongly highlighted the urgent need to rethink local public transportation in the valleys with on-demand rides, intermodal connections, and routes tailored to the real needs of those who live in the mountains year-round. Another crucial issue for the future of the Highlands is the responsible management and consumption of water, the subject of the first cross-border ALPIMED+ festival, held on Friday, May 15, in the Exhibition Hall of the Province of Cuneo. 

The Cuneo Montagna Festival will continue to expand its horizons with two photography exhibitions —one celebrating the first thirty years of the Compagnia del Buon Cammino, set up in the corridor in front of the Hall of Honor of the Town Hall (Via Roma 28), open during Cuneo City Hall opening hours until June 3rd, and "On the Edge of Oblivion. The Forts of the Maritime Alps," featuring photographs by Michel Eisenlohr, which will grace Via Roma until July 5th—as well as two off-site events. On Friday, May 22nd, in the Frise district of Monterosso Grana, an evening of cinema and literature will be hosted by the Valle Grana Cultural Village. On the afternoon of Friday, June 26th, in the Hall of Honor of the Cuneo City Hall, chestnut growing will take center stage, with the formalization of the network of chestnut-growing municipalities. Together with the Provincial Chestnut Growers' Committee, the network will discuss with representatives of regional institutions the actions needed to enhance and protect a supply chain that is the history, identity, and future of the Granda. In the coming weeks, the podcast episode "Preferisco Ghisarmi," recorded by Brocchi sui Blocchi, Italy's largest climbing community, on Saturday, May 16th at Open Baladin, will be available on all major listening platforms. 

"This edition of the 'Cuneo Montagna Festival' concludes with an extremely positive outcome," says Sara Tomatis, Councilor for Metromontagna for the Municipality of Cuneo. "The capital city has confirmed its role as an ideal laboratory for reflection on the relationship between the city and the highlands. The goal was to give the festival a strong and lasting identity, and we achieved it. Now we will work to strengthen it and engage new audiences, such as schools. Meanwhile, this year, for the first time, we visited the Cuneo prison with a lecture-performance by architectural historian Luca Gibello, which resonated with the inmates, students of the hotel management school, who attended. All this was made possible by a well-established network of collaborations with the local area, which considers the Cuneo Montagna Festival complementary and synergistic with the Terres Monviso Outdoor Festival and the upcoming Outdoor Free Festival."