Highlights of the WDEC 2026 guided tour and live student performance honoring civilian war victims at the Monumental Cemetery of Turin on 5 June 2026.
About the event
On Friday, 5 June 2026, the Monumental Cemetery of Turin hosted a special event as part of the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries (WDEC) 2026 and Archivissima 2026. The event was organised by AFC Torino S.p.A. in collaboration with the National Association of Civilian War Victims (ANVCG) and the Historical Archive and Cultural Heritage Office of the Waldensian Board.
Guided Tour
Starting at 5:30 PM, the programme featured a guided tour titled “La ______ mancante. Perdite e lacune nelle storie delle vittime civili di guerra” (“The Missing ______. Losses and gaps in the stories of civilian war victims”). Led by Federica Tammarazio, a prominent art historian and archivist, the tour explored themes of memory, archival gaps and the stories of civilian victims of war, in line with Archivissima’s 2026 core topic, “Quello che non c’è” (“What is not there”).
Live Performance
The historical exploration concluded with a powerful emotional impact at the Campo della Gloria (Field of Glory). Students from the Liceo Coreutico Teatrale Germana Erba delivered a moving live performance. Using the universal languages of dance and theater, the young artists brought the archival narratives to life, giving voice to those who could no longer speak and transforming historical memory into a vibrant call for peace.
You can watch the full performance in the video below.
On 30 May 2026, the "Ti porto con me" workshop will take place at the Turin Monumental Cemetery as part of WDEC 2026.
About the project
Ti porto con me nei-luoghi della memoria (“I’ll take you with me to places of remembrance”) is an artistic exploration developed with a focus on cultural welfare. The project, which made its debut at the Santa Maria della Scala Museum Complex in Siena, curated by Michela Eremita, evolves here into a collective experience in which forms of expression and well-being intertwine in a process of personal and collective discovery. Within the setting of the Monumental Cemetery of Turin — a site of memory and symbolic stratification — participants are guided through an experience that fosters concentration, regulation, and presence.
The workshop activates a dimension of listening and care through self-narration, writing, and relational embroidery, transforming a place of “absence” into a “temporary community” through shared activity. The heterogeneity of the group, based on gender diversity, enriches dialogue and emotional processing, acting as a catalyst for deep connections. The gentle sound of a harp provides the backdrop for the entire journey. The project culminates in the creation of a collective digital work, a visual synthesis of the process of healing and connection experienced by the group.
The research benefits from the scientific involvement of Catterina Seia, President of the CCW Cultural Welfare Centre. At the ASCE International Conference in June 2026, the results of this artistic research will be presented through a dedicated video presentation illustrating the evolution of the workshop and the collective power of shared memories. A QR code on a card will provide access to the digital outcome.
Event details
Type of activity: Artistic research workshop
Date: Saturday, 30 May 2026
Time: 16:30 – 18:30
Location: Monumental Cemetery of Turin (entrance at Via Varano 17/A)
Participation: Free of charge as part of WDEC – booking is required (maximum 30 participants)
Notes for participants: A materials kit will be provided by the artist. We recommend bringing something to sit on the grass, such as a yoga mat, towel, lightweight chair, or stool.
About the artist
Sara Conforti Hòfer (Turin, 1973) is a relational artist and researcher. She works in the field of cultural welfare with an approach focused on designing artistic practices that promote health and well-being. She trained at the CCW (Cultural Welfare Centre) in Turin, where she completed two specialist Master’s degrees. Her research explores the intersection between poetic vision and bio-psychosocial well-being.
The artist develops participatory processes that combine ethnographic methods and collective narratives, giving form to choral works and contemporary rituals aimed at redefining social bonds. Her practice is supported by a solid network of collaborations with public bodies, museums, and national and international institutions. Key partnerships include major banking foundations such as Compagnia di San Paolo, Cariplo, and CRT, as well as leading centres for contemporary art, including Castello di Rivoli, PAV – Parco Arte Vivente, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, and Palazzo Ducale in Genoa.
Her work has been presented in internationally significant contexts, including the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, the One World Trade Center in New York in collaboration with the Moleskine Foundation, and the Florence Biennale, where she received the Lorenzo il Magnifico Lifetime Achievement Award.
From 23 May to 6 June, several guided tours and other cultural activities will take place in Turin, Italy, as part of WDEC 2026.
Programme
➤ Saturday, May 23 | 4:00 PM Musical Reading "From the Cantacronache to the Songwriters" by Federico Sirianni
Location: Monumental Cemetery of Turin (Field of Glory)
Organized by: AFC Torino SpA
Contact: arte-storia@cimiteritorino.it
➤ Sunday, May 24 | 10:00 AM Festival of Greenery - Historical walk among cedars and cypresses
Location: Monumental Cemetery of Turin (start at visitor entrance)
Organized by: AFC Torino SpA
Contact: arte-storia@cimiteritorino.it
➤ Sunday, May 24 | 10:30 AM Stories, famous figures, and curiosities at the Monumental Cemetery
Location: Monumental Cemetery of Turin (start at visitor entrance)
Organized by: CULTURALWAY
Contact: info@culturalway.it or 3393885984
➤ Saturday, May 30 | 4:30 PM Workshop "I TAKE YOU WITH ME". In the places of memory.
Location: Monumental Cemetery of Turin (start at the entrance via Varano 17/A, fifth expansion)
Organized by: Events Office
Contact: arte-storia@cimiteritorino.it
From May 24 to June 9, many events will take place in Turin as part of the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries 2024.
Event program
➤ Friday, 24 May 2024 - Sunday, 09 June 2024 Events at the Italian cemeteries of the SEFIT Utilitalia Association
➤ Sunday, 26 May 2024
10.00: The secrets of the Monumental cemetery of Turin (guided tour)
11.00: Theatrical journey "Silent Divas" (guided tour)
12.00: The Liberty at the Monumental cemetery of Turin (guided tour)
14.30: Theatrical journey "Silent Divas" (guided tour)
➤ Saturday, 1 June 2024
10.00: Illustrious names and famous tombs with Luisa (guided tour)
14.30: OPEN HOUSE TURIN: the Monumental Cemetery (guided tour)
16.30: OPEN HOUSE TURIN: the Monumental Cemetery (guided tour)
➤ Friday, 7 June 2024
18.30: Archivissima 2024 (special event)
➤ Saturday, 8 June 2024
18.00: Margherita OGGERO, public reading for the series of meetings Imaginary Lives curated by Giuseppe Culicchia (special event)
Additional information
All details and contacts for reservations can be found at this LINK.
Don't miss out on the wide variety of events that will take place in Turin, Italy, during this year's WDEC.
Events program
➤ 22 May - 10 June 2023: “Rainbows” TTL valorisation activity of Utilitalia SEFIT
➤ 30 - 31 May 2023, at 9.00: The "Terza Missione" Project "Whisper: "Around Cemeteries: a space of dialogue across generations and cultures" by the UNITED - Department of Humanistic Studies.
➤ 3 June 2023, at 10.00: Guided tour "Names, steps, history and art at the Monumental Cemetery of Turin" with Luisa Boscolo.
➤ 3 June 2023, at 16.30: Guided tour "Art and History at the Turin cemetery".
➤ 4 June 2023, at 10.00: Guided tour "Symbols, curiosities and oddities at the Monumental Cemetery of Turin".
➤ 4 June 2023, at 16.30: Guided tour "Art and History at the Turin cemetery".
➤ 6 June 2023, at 14.30: Guided tour to the Jewish fields.
➤ 9 - 12 June 2023, at 16.30: Special event "Archivissima Extra 2023 Carnet de voyage" #change.
➤ 10 June 2023, at 14.30: Open house Turin: the Monumental Cemetery.
➤ 10 June 2023, at 14.30: Open house Turin: the Monumental Cemetery.
Additional information about each event can be found at this LINK.
On the occasion of the WDEC 2021, The Monumental Cemetery of Turin has organized a new online conference.
About the conference
The online conference entitled "The enhancement of cemeteries in Italy and Europe as places dedicated to collective memory" will take place on May 31st, 2021 at 5.30 pm (local time in Italy).
You can watch the streaming on the Webex platform at this LINK.
Possible password required: CONFERENCE
Conference program
Introduction:
Prof. Marco DEVECCHI - President of the Commission for the quality of the cemetery works of the City of Turin
Greetings:
Dott. Marco Giusta - Councilor with responsibility for the cemeteries of the City of Turin
Prof. Serge NOIRET - President of AIPH Italian Association of Public History
Speakers:
Renata SANTORO - Coordinator Technical Table for the historical-artistic enhancement of the Italian cemeteries of Utilitalia-SEFIT
Chiara OTTAVIANO - President of Cliomedia Public History
Melissa LAMAIDA - Vice President of ASCE
Paola REDEMAGNI - author of "Una prece, una lacrima"
