Keeping up with Parco!
28th July- 10 August
Hello again! I’m Pablo, and this week we had the wonderful EcoFestival in Bergolo. I’m excited to share with you some highlights and try to bring you closer to the spirit of this event. The festival was truly amazing because we met many interesting people and participated in a wide variety of activities and workshops focused on sustainability. There were sessions about artisanal food, bamboo bicycles, and many other eco-friendly innovations. People from different cities came to join us, as the festival has grown in popularity since it started four years ago. It was a great opportunity to learn, connect, and celebrate sustainable living together.
Photo about sustainabilty food, the manager of EcoFestival.
There were sessions about artisanal food, bamboo bicycles, and many other eco-friendly innovations. People from different cities came to join us, as the festival has grown in popularity since it started four years ago. It was a great opportunity to learn, connect, and celebrate sustainable living together.
Natalia and I were working together at Marco’s stand, helping out by cutting the bread, serving food, and occasionally cleaning dishes and tidying up the area. The hours we spent working were really enjoyable, although it was quite hot and a bit challenging at times. Despite the heat, the environment was pleasant, and the short-term volunteers we met were friendly and easy to get along with. Overall, it was a rewarding experience.
One of the speechs was about sustanibality bikes with bambu, and it was really interesting because they were looking for getting less weight in the bike and be faster like carbon materials. It’s a really nice idea because here in the Piedmont many people likes transport without pollution.
As we were working during the week, we had 5 free days, and I went to Turin with my friends so I’m going to show what kind of places I went.
Piazza Vitorio
We arrived on Thursday and we were so tired so we went to sleep. The next day we visited Plazza Vitorio, it is one of the biggest squares in Europe and there are a lot of business.
It was built at the beginning of the 19th century, after the arrival of the House of Savoy, as part of an ambitious urban plan that aimed to open the city toward the River Po and give it a monumental character.
Its rectangular layout, surrounded by arcades and neoclassical buildings, makes it one of the largest porticoed squares in Europe. From here you can enjoy one of the city’s most famous views: the church of the Gran Madre di Dio, just across the Vittorio Emanuele I bridge, framed by the green hills of Turin in the background.
Over the years, the square has been the stage for historical celebrations, political demonstrations, and of course, daily life: cafés, restaurants, and lively terraces that make it especially vibrant at night. Today it remains a favorite meeting point for both locals and visitors, where Turin’s monumental past blends with the city’s contemporary energy.
The National Cinema Museum: a temple inside the Mole
Turin hides many treasures, but few are as unique as the National Cinema Museum. It’s not housed in an ordinary building — it lives inside the Mole Antonelliana, the architectural symbol of the city. That blend of museum and monument makes the experience unforgettable: you’re not just visiting a collection, you’re stepping into a vertical universe devoted to the magic of cinema.
The museum was born from the passion of Maria Adriana Prolo, a pioneer who dreamed of preserving and telling the story of the seventh art. Since the year 2000, its home has been the Mole, where each level reveals a different journey: from early optical experiments to films that defined generations. Pre-cinema devices, posters, costumes, sets and iconic objects turn every corner into a walk through movie history.
National Egycpian Museum
Right in the heart of Turin, on Via Accademia delle Scienze, lies one of Italy’s and the world’s most fascinating museums: the Egyptian Museum (Museo Egizio). Founded in 1824, it is the oldest museum in the world dedicated entirely to Egyptian civilization and, after Cairo’s, it is considered the most important of its kind.
Stepping inside feels like crossing a portal into the past: more than 40,000 artifacts make up its collection.Papyri, mummies, sarcophagi, colossal statues, and even a reconstructed temple all bring ancient Egypt to life. Among its highlights are:
The Papyrus of the Gold Mines, a unique document in the world.
Monumental statues of the pharaohs, imposing as soon as you enter the main gallery.
The Tomb of Kha and Merit, discovered intact in 1906, complete with all the objects that accompanied the royal architect and his wife on their journey to the afterlife.
River Po
The Po is more than just a river – it’s almost a character in Italy’s history. Stretching over 650 kilometers, it rises in the Cottian Alps near Monviso and flows all the way across northern Italy before reaching the Adriatic Sea. It is the country’s longest river and, for centuries, has been a source of life, trade, culture, and challenges.
In Turin, the Po becomes a place of gathering and beauty. Its green banks invite you to stroll, cycle, or simply sit and watch the city breathe through its waters. From the bridges —like the Vittorio Emanuele I— you can enjoy one of the city’s most iconic views: the church of Gran Madre di Dio set against the hills, a scene that looks like a painting.
