Montorfano takes centre stage on 24–25 June 2023 – Cultural and musical events for the Feast of St John

To mark the feast day of St John the Baptist, the historic village of Montorfano comes to life thanks to a series of events organised by the local council and the parish of Mergozzo, in collaboration with the Montorfano community, the Granite Ecomuseum, the Somariamente Association and the Mergozzo Archaeological Group.

• The programme begins on the evening of Saturday 24 June at 9.00 pm with the concert “A ricercar armonia • Sounds from the 5th century to the present day with Rossano Munaretto”, who will play the zither and the plagiaulos (a flute used by the ancient Greeks and Etruscans), performing on reproductions of ancient instruments based on depictions and archaeological evidence found in the Church of San Giovanni.
• On Sunday 25 June, Holy Mass will be held at 11.00 am in honour of St John the Baptist, the patron saint of Montorfano; from 12.00 pm, there will be an aperitif and a community lunch for the residents of Montorfano, organised by the village community. This will be followed by games for children from 2.30 pm.
  • Between 3 pm and 5 pm, the Granite Ecomuseum, in collaboration with the Somariamente Association, will be organising a musical tour along the quarry circuit, The musical accompaniment will be provided by Rossano Munaretto, who, on this occasion, will treat participants to the sound of some of his stone flutes. The meeting point is at 2.45 pm at the church of San Giovanni. From there, a guided walk will take place along the Montorfano Loop, a picturesque route through quarries and disused haulage tracks, offering panoramic views of the lake as it winds through woods and clearings, which were once granite quarries, where one can still see numerous traces of past activities, such as blocks being worked on, cutting tools and the remains of transport paving. The Ring is the result of a restoration project coordinated by the Associazione Somariamente in collaboration with the young people of RotarAct; it is approximately 3 km long and takes about an hour to walk.
  • On returning at 5.30 pm to the churchyard of the Church of San Giovanni, the event will once again draw to a close with a concert by the Bracchio Music Corps.

The ecomuseum initiatives form part of the “La pietra racconta” project, promoted by the Municipality of Baveno in collaboration with the Municipality of Mergozzo and the GAM association, and funded by the VCO Community Foundation.

Participation in the event is free (donations to support the ‘La pietra racconta’ activities are welcome).

Info: tel. 0323 840809 • WhatsApp or text message +39 348 7340347 •museomergozzo@tiscali.it