During the first two weekends of October, one of the most evocative events for those who love discovering the territory at a slow pace returns to Emilia-Romagna, inviting visitors into places that are normally hard to reach and along itineraries where art, history, and spirituality converge. The October 3-4 and 10-11, 2026 mark the eighth edition of Open Monasteries, featuring guided tours, strolls, concerts, discussions, and extraordinary openings among abbeys, convents, parish churches, and hermitages throughout the region.
This year’s edition takes on a special significance as it is dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi, in a year commemorating 800 years since his death, which occurred in 1226. The program includes experiences along the Paths of Emilia-Romagna, encounters with religious figures and cloistered nuns, sacred and ancient music concerts, tastings, and even lunches in monastic refectories.
An Overview of Open Monasteries 2026
Promoted by APT Servizi Emilia-Romagna in collaboration with the Episcopal Conference of the Emilia-Romagna Region and with the circuit of the Paths of Emilia-Romagna, Open Monasteries returns in 2026 with a distributed calendar that makes it possible to discover some of the most fascinating religious sites in the region, several of which are exceptionally accessible to the public.
The initiative’s philosophy remains tied to a slow, mindful way of traveling: walking among ancient villages and Apennine landscapes, entering monastic cloisters and millennial abbeys, and listening to stories tied to the life of religious communities. Among the offerings are tastings of recipes from the monastic tradition, meetings with experts in art history, and musical happenings, in addition to strolls along the 22 Paths of the regional circuit.
The Program for October 3 and 4, 2026
The guiding thread of the eighth edition is Saint Francis and the relationship between spirituality, nature, and the pilgrimage. The opening weekend of Open Monasteries 2026 begins on Saturday, October 3, with several experiences between Reggio Emilia and the province of Parma.
In Reggio Emilia, the program features “On the Matilde Path”, a day—from about 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.—that blends culture and trekking along the Via Matildica del Volto Santo. After visits to the Diocesan Museum and the Cloisters of San Domenico, participants embark on a walk of roughly 6.5 kilometers to the Royal Ducal Palace of Rivalta, complete with a garden picnic and visits to the palace and the Secret Garden.
In the afternoon, at 4:00 p.m., the journey shifts, virtually, to Fidenza, the ancient Borgo San Donnino, with “Bread, Stone, and the Star”, a walking route devoted to traces of Saint Francis in the city. The itinerary crosses four sites tied to local history, including 14th-century frescoes, old oratories, and now-vanished convents, culminating in the tasting of an artisan loaf prepared according to an old recipe that recalls a miracle from Franciscan tradition. Attendance is free but requires registration.
Also on October 3-4, the Monastery of Santa Maria Assunta in Castione Marchesi of Fidenza opens exceptionally; this millennial abbey sits along the Via Francigena. With “Visits and Poetic IN-CANTI in the Abbey”, visitors can discover medieval polychrome mosaics and the ancient pantry spaces. On Sunday the 4th, guided tours are offered by reservation from 2:00 p.m., and at 5:30 p.m. the concert by the Mario Dellapina Choir of Collecchio.
Among the most distinctive Sunday offerings on October 4 is also a lunch in the Refectory of the Abbey of Torrechiara, inside the Benedictine Monastery of Santa Maria della Neve. Before sitting down to eat, at 10:00 a.m. there is a visit to the monastery, the church, and the Belvedere overlooking the Parma stream; lunch in the refectory begins at 12:30 p.m. The experience is also proposed on the other Sundays in October and requires booking.
There are numerous other appointments in the Reggio area. On Saturday, October 3, you may visit the Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta di Pianzo, while in Guastalla the Church of San Francesco opens, accessible Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 and 4:30 p.m. In Campagnola Emilia, for the entire weekend, it is possible to retrace the history of the Augustinian monastery and the Abbey of the Holy Trinity.
On Sunday, October 4, the journey through the Reggio Apennines continues between the Church of Saint Andrew and the Castle of Carpinete, the Church of the Castle of Rossena in Canossa, the Oratory of Saint Michael in Beleo, the Pieve of Saint Bartholomew in Paullo, and the Pieve of Santa Maria in Toano.
In Reggio Emilia, moreover, on Sunday the 4th the Matilde Path changes pace and is traveled by bicycle. The itinerary starts from the city, traverses the plain to Guastalla, and includes a tasting of Erbazzone Reggiano IGP, a visit to the Cloisters of San Pietro, lunch along the banks of the Po, and entry to the Church of Saint Francis. In the same afternoon, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., the itinerary “The End of Mannerism and Baroque Innovation in Reggio Emilia” is also scheduled between the Basilica of San Prospero and that of the Beata Vergine della Ghiara.
Piacenza also participates in the opening weekend with “Mirabil Prospects”, the experience that allows visitors to climb to elevations above two symbolic sites of the historic center: the Guercino Dome in the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and the Pordenone Dome in the Basilica of Santa Maria di Campagna.
