“The Peace Path” in Cuasso al Monte is an emotional trail through nature and literature

From October 30, anyone can walk along the new path created by Associazione On. Enjoy the beauty of the woods in an open-air museum where nature and literature merge, encouraging thoughts on the theme of Peace.

A beautiful path in the woods, panoramic views over Valceresio Valley, and messages that seem to be coming from trees and stones.
The Peace Path in Cuasso al Monte is a fascinating encounter of nature, literature and walking that anyone can enjoy from Sunday, October 30. You will experience the beauty of the woods in a sort of open-air museum, where nature’s wonderful work merge with man’s words, encouraging thoughts on the theme of Peace.
The initiative was conceived and created by Associazione On and its founder Max Laudadio, with the financial support of the Mountain Community of Piambello, through the Integrated Plans for Culture of Lombardy Region and the district of Cuasso al Monte.

From the Cadorna Path to the Peace Path

The Peace Path is an approximately 6.5-km forest trail in Cinque Vette Park which connects the town centre of Cuasso al Monte to the top of Mount Derta. It winds through a scenic stretch of Frontiera Nord, commonly known as Linea Cadorna (Cadorna Path), a trench designed and built between the 19th and 20th centuries to protect Italy from possible attacks from beyond the Alps.
Therefore, the project was inspired by a place built to face war. Still, today it reverses its identity to remind its visitors that “although each of us prays for peace in their life, we choose war as a means against adversity, even in our daily social relations”.

The voice of the Mountain

“Come! Whether you are a wanderer or know what to look for, come! Here the present melts into the past and turns into the future: here you’ll have forests and skies, lakes and winds, and where once the war was waged, today Peace is celebrated!”. These are the first lines spoken by the voice of the Mountain on the Peace Path, which relies on her to walk the visitors along the trail.
It starts from the square in front of the town hall in Cuasso al Monte, where you can download an app using a QR code available on the first of the ten bulletin boards along the trail. The app allows you to listen to podcasts once you reach the first viewpoint. A few meters from the square, in the corner windows on Via Roma, you can see the original painting reproduced on the bulletin boards: ten images that accompany the audio content through the vivid narration of Francesco Vanzaghi.

Leaving the historic centre of Cuasso al Monte behind, the first three bulletin boards will appear once you are plunged into nature. They talk about the wildlife in the forest and the history and morphology of the territory.
Arriving at the fifth bulletin board, with a panoramic view on the Alps and on Lake Ceresio, the time has come to listen to the first podcast, where the Mountain, a faithful spectator of generations of men that crossed it, shows up to introduce the visitors to the voices of the writers who, throughout history, reflected upon Peace. A literary review that ranges from ancient Greece to the present day, interpreted by an exceptional cast: Stefano Accorsi, Alessandro Preziosi, Carolina Crescentini, Anna Safroncik, Raoul Bova and Alessandro Siani. Stefano Fresi gives his voice to the Mountain.
You enter the trench: the loopholes overlooking Lake Ceresio let the light in. Then walk into the forest and travel until you reach the marvellous Sasso Paradiso. On the way back, the last podcast invites us to ponder over Peace as the only solution, true personal fulfilment, and interior growth. And the visitors will be asked to leave a message of Peace in the “Peace virtual museum” on the Associazione On website.

An open-air museum for everybody

The multiple representations and suggestions make the Peace Path an open-air museum. After the official opening upon invitation planned for Sunday morning, the trail will always be accessible.
For a better experience, the use of headphones or earphones is suggested and, obviously, suitable clothing too. The path was designed with an educational function in mind; materials for schools and handouts in Italian and English for the visitors are available for download on the website www.lineadellapace.it
A lot of people have contributed to the realization of the Peace Path. The song selection and the writing of the original pieces were curated by professor William G. Costabile Cisco, and the
historical part by Antonio Trotti. Paintings were made by Francesco Vanzaghi; graphics were curated by Barbara Vitale for Viva srl. The trenches restoration was made possible thanks to the volunteers of AIB group of the Mountain Community of Piambello and to the Civil Protection of Cuasso al Monte. The initiative is also sponsored by the Arsenal of Peace in Turin.

Translated by Nigro Rebecca e Rovera Guido
Reviewed by Montemurro Martina