Sharing Beauty: The Church of Santa Chiara opens to community theater
Saturday, September 27, on the occasion of the European Heritage Days 2025
On the occasion of the European Heritage Days 2025, the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Alessandria, Asti and Cuneo, in collaboration with the Municipality of Cuneo – Personal Services – Culture Sector and the Compagnia Il Melarancio, will offer the public a special visit to the Church of Santa Chiara, enriched by a suggestive theatrical reinterpretation of a controversial historical event.
The frescoes inside the monument, recently restored thanks to funding from the Ministry of Culture and resources from the Municipality of Cuneo, will be described by the architectural officials who directly carried out high-level surveillance activities regarding a protected property of extraordinary historical and artistic interest and of particular affection to the people of Cuneo.
While awaiting the renovation work necessary to maintain the operations of the soon-to-open Officina Santachiara cultural hub, Dispari Teatro will offer three short performances based on the fictionalized account of the expulsion of the nuns.
The site will be open to the public on Saturday 27 September 2025, from 3pm to 10pm, with free admission.
Free guided tours of the recent restorations are planned, led by Superintendency officials Stefania Manassero, Massimo Nappo, Loredana Fracchia and Simone Lerma (3:30 pm, 5:00 pm, 8:30 pm) and theatrical narrations, by Pietro Rosano, based on a text and direction by Gimmi Basilotta (4:00 pm, 5:30 pm, 9:00 pm).
The European Heritage Days are among the most widely attended cultural events in Europe, promoted since 1991 by the Council of Europe and the European Commission. Each year, the event raises awareness of a shared cultural heritage and encourages active citizen participation in its preservation and transmission to future generations. The event, coordinated in Italy by the Ministry of Culture, reaffirms the centrality of the region's historical and artistic heritage, which together unite the nation's identity. This creates an extraordinary collective narrative, conveying the richness and widespread dimension of Italy's cultural heritage, from the most renowned examples housed in major museums to the lesser-known examples of excellence that every city can boast and should promote. This event will also offer an opportunity to discover the projects developed in collaboration with peripheral institutions affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, namely the Superintendencies, to strengthen their close ties with their respective regions and cultural identities.
FREE ENTRY
– Free admission from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM
– free guided tour at 3:30 pm, 5:00 pm, 8:30 pm
– Theatrical narration by the Il Melarancio Company: 4:00 PM, 5:30 PM, and 9:00 PM
CONTACTS
Municipality of Cuneo, Personal Services Sector – Culture: tel. 0171.444.811/815
Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Alessandria, Asti and Cuneo tel. 0131 229100 Superintendency_ https://www.sabap-al.beniculturali.it/
Municipality of Cuneo_ https://www.cuneocultura.it/
Dispari Teatro/Compagnia Il Melarancio_ www.melarancio.com https://www.facebook.com/compagnia.ilmelarancio/
