Una Torre di Libri returns to Torre Pellice – one of the most original literary festivals on the Italian scene – reaffirming its identity as a space for dialogue between books and the real world, weaving together spirituality, civic history, material culture, education, music and the visual arts, whilst maintaining a strong connection with the local area and an international outlook. The programme will be symbolically opened on Saturday 20 June by a special guest: Enzo Bianchi, founder of the Monastic Community of Bose and a leading figure in contemporary spiritual thought, visiting Torre Pellice for the first time. From 9 July, the heart of the festival will feature a packed programme of talks and performances. Among the most eagerly awaited events is A Miles Supreme, an original festival production celebrating the centenary of John Coltrane and Miles Davis. A key moment will be the conferral of honorary citizenship upon Anna Foa, one of the most authoritative historians on the themes of memory and minorities. The final day, meanwhile, will be dedicated to identity and civic engagement, featuring Waldensian history, photography and the commemoration of Piero Gobetti on the centenary of his death. To enrich the cultural experience, an exhibition dedicated to Francesco Casorati will be open to the public at the Civica Galleria Scroppo throughout the festival. The closing event on 4 September, as part of the LXV Conference of the Society for Waldensian Studies, will look beyond Italy’s borders, with Gad Lerner and Paolo Naso in dialogue on politics, religion and fundamentalism in the United States.
