Festival of Commonplaces "Collective Narrations Between Complexity and Convenience"
From October 9th to 12th, 2025, the Festival dei Luoghi Comuni returns to Cuneo, now in its seventh year. This event is designed to stimulate reflection, critical thinking, and empathy, with a program that combines activities for schools, current affairs talks, and lecture-performances. All events are free, but reservations are required.
This year's theme is "Collective Narratives Between Complexity and Convenience," continuing the approach of previous editions. At its core are the stories—historical, political, social, and cultural—that profoundly influence how we interpret reality. When these narratives are simplified or reduced to symbols, especially through the media, social networks, and pop culture, they risk becoming convenient tools for some, but misleading for those who wish to truly understand the present. The festival invites us to question what these stories tell us and how to more consciously address the complexity of our time.
To offer a broad and nuanced perspective, the festival adopts an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together guests from diverse fields, with the goal of engaging audiences of diverse ages and interests. In this sense, it also proves to be a valuable opportunity for collective reflection: a space where the city can pause, think, and engage, transcending everyday simplifications.
This year, too, major cultural institutions are participating, including the geopolitical magazine Limes, Panini Comics featuring Mickey Mouse, the Giovanni Boccaccio National Institute, the Egyptian Museum, the Community of Sant'Egidio, Europe Direct of Cuneo, Off Topic, and the Pour Parler Festival.
The Festival dei Luoghi Comuni is organized by the CUADRI ETS cultural association, with the contribution of the CRC Foundation, the CRT Foundation, the Piedmont Region, and the Municipality of Cuneo, and with the support of Banco Azzoaglio.
The initiative is held under the patronage of the Piedmont Region, the Province of Cuneo, the City of Cuneo, and the Accademia della Crusca.
Free admission, registration required: https://www.eventbrite.it/o/associazione-culturale-cuadri-35679338233
PLAN
Thursday 9 October
At 6.00 pm, at the CRC Foundation Meeting Space, an informative meeting “Ancient Egypt between hoaxes and truth, the story you don't expect”, a journey through resistant hoaxes and forgotten truths, dismantling the most convenient and spectacular narratives that have often transformed a great civilization into a film set.
At 9.00 pm, at the Spazio Varco, a conference show by Massimo Polidoro “A sense of wonder”, a lecture taken from the book “The wonder of everything”, the result of decades of discussion between Angela and her student, historical collaborator and friend Polidoro.
Friday 10 October
At 6.00 pm, at the CRC Foundation Meeting Space, informative meeting “Conversations outside common places”, in collaboration with “Pour Parler”, the Festival of Common Places of Rovato.
At 9.00 pm, at the CRC Foundation Meeting Space, an informative meeting entitled “Hot Reports: Reporting on War in the Era of Instantaneity” will take place with Rai journalists Marina Lalovic and Giammarco Sicuro, who will share their experience as correspondents in contemporary conflicts, including images to be delivered live and stories that struggle to find space.
Saturday 11 October at 5.00 pm , in the Hall of Honour of the Municipality of Cuneo , “ A proposito di Piacenza ” will be held , a meeting between Katia Tarasconi, mayor of Piacenza, and the mayor of Cuneo, Patrizia Manassero, and other guests.
At 6.30 pm, at the CRC Foundation Meeting Space, an informative meeting with a show entitled “Talking about women: in the Decameron, in the Middle Ages”
At 9:00 pm, at theCRC Foundation Meeting Space, meeting “Worlds at War. Revolution in America, the challenge of Russia, the project of China”.
Sunday 12 October
At 6.00 pm, at theCRC Foundation Meeting Space, “Children talk about war: stories we don’t know how to listen to”, an event in collaboration with the Community of Sant'Egidio.
