The 8th edition of the Festival delle Foreste by Montagna Italia inaugurated successfully

The Festival preview was held on Sunday, November 16 at the Castle of Padernello, in Borgo San Giacomo (BS), in collaboration with the Foundation of the same name, with the aim of giving visibility not only to the castle but also to the San Vigilio Bridge, a work by Giuliano Mauri.

After the screening of the video of the exhibition “In the footsteps of Giuliano Mauri – Conversations with nature”, the concert “Jet d’eau” took place, performed by soprano Silvia Lorenzi, accompanied on the piano by Maestro Stefano Gatti and on percussion by Maestro Stefano Bertoli.

In attendance were Domenico Pedroni, President of the Padernello Castle Foundation, Roberto Gualdi, President of the Festival, Oriana Ruzzini, Councillor for ecological transition, environment and green spaces of the Municipality of Bergamo, Camilla Bianchi, Councillor with a mandate for Ecological Transition, Environment, Green Spaces and Energy Policies of the Municipality of Brescia, and Francesca Regorda, Director of the Giuliano Mauri archive.

The official opening of the Festival took place with good public attendance on Monday, November 17 at 9:00 PM at the Piazza della Libertà Auditorium in Bergamo. After welcoming the Guest Country, the evening continued with a musical performance inspired by Miles Davis, curated by the quartet composed of Fabio Brignoli on trumpet, Francesco Chebat on piano, Stefano Bertoli on drums, and Sandro Massazza on double bass.

In attendance were Roberto Gualdi, President of the Festival, Oriana Ruzzini, Councillor for ecological transition, environment and green spaces of the Municipality of Bergamo, Giovanni Malanchini, Regional Councillor of Lombardy, and Claudia Buccellati, Honorary Consul of Panama.

On Tuesday, November 18, again at the Piazza della Libertà Auditorium at 9:00 PM, an event will take place featuring Riccardo Iacona and Lisa Iotti from “PresaDiretta”, a RAI 3 program, including the screening of excerpts from the documentary “Medellín, the green revolution”, with commentary by the authors.

Several tree plantings are scheduled in the gardens of various schools and city parks. Thanks to the sponsorship of the Municipality of Scanzorosciate, a planting event will take place on November 24 at the town’s kindergarten.

During the Festival, there will be several opportunities to participate in “forest immersions” organized by Legambiente and the Nume del Bosco Association.

On November 19 at 9:00 AM, at Palazzo Brera in Milan, the conference “The monumental trees of Lombardy: a heritage to protect” will be held, organized by the Lombardy Region.

On this occasion, the film “In front of the old tree” by Paolo Rossi and Nicola Rebora, a work from the Festival archive, will be screened.

At 2:30 PM, in the City Council Hall of the Municipality of Bergamo, a conference organized by the Department of Ecological Transition, Environment, and Green Spaces of the Municipality of Bergamo will take place, titled “Green squares – dialogues on climate and urban space.” Moderated by Diego Colombo, with contributions from Filippo Barbera (author of The Empty Squares), Ilaria Zilioli (European Space Agency), and Emanuele Garda (urban planner, University of Bergamo).

At 9:00 PM, in the Galmozzi Hall in Bergamo, the screening of the first five competition films will begin. The remaining four will be shown on November 20 at 4:30 PM, also in the Galmozzi Hall.

Among the various events, the third edition of “Innesti” is also confirmed. This is a ceremony that awards associations, organizations, and individuals who have distinguished themselves through actions that enhance and protect green spaces. The event will take place on November 21, National Tree Day, at 5:00 PM in the Council Hall of the Municipality of Bergamo.

The Awards Ceremony for the competitions will be held on November 22, starting at 4:00 PM, in the Galmozzi Hall in Bergamo.

After a moment dedicated to the Guest Country, the awards will be presented, along with several special recognitions, including the 2025 Forest Award to writer Tiziano Fratus.

Born in Bergamo in 1975, he has devoted himself passionately to writing for thirty years. A publishing nomad, he has developed concepts such as Homo Radix, Dendrosofia, Itinerant Forest, and Rural Buddhism, which he explored in a vast silvarium titled Homo Radix, expressed in prose, verse, and photography, and spread across around forty works. He has collaborated with newspapers and magazines, writing articles, interviews, and essays, and has hosted radio programs. He has received the Ceppo Natura Award, the Ninfea Award, and the Montale “Outside the Home” Award, and has been nominated, among others, for the Strega Ragazzi, Vallombrosa, and Montano prizes. He founded and directed the Torino Poesia festival and publishing house, created and hosted the La Ghianda Award for Cinemambiente, and co-founded the Poeteca of Pinerolo. He has also worked in theater and dramaturgy, composing several plays.

On November 23, Cammina Foreste Urbane will take place, the annual event organized by Ersaf and Legambiente, departing at 9:30 AM from Olmi Park (Malpensata area). The event is part of the Cli.C. Bergamo! Climate Transition Strategy, supported by Fondazione Cariplo and the Lombardy Region.

At 4:30 PM, in the Piatti Hall, as part of the Alfredo Piatti International Cello Festival, the concert “A Cello at the Theater between opera and ballet” will be held, featuring cellist Alessio Pianelli and pianist Eugenio Catone.

Works by Beethoven, Servais, Stravinsky, Piatti, and Castelnuovo-Tedesco will be performed.

The initiative is organized by the Montagna Italia Association in collaboration with the Department of Ecological Transition, Environment, and Green Spaces of the Municipality of Bergamo, with contributions from the Bergamo Chamber of Commerce, the Regional Council of Lombardy, Fondazione Cariplo, and the Mountain Basin Consortium of Lake Como and the Brembo and Serio rivers.

The event is promoted by PEFC Italia, Compagnia delle Chiavi, Proloco Bergamo, Cinema e Arte, Climarte, and the Bergamo Film Commission, and supported by various institutions.

View the Whole Festival program HERE