La Via Lattea

Musical pilgrimages where the landscape becomes a theatre

La Via Lattea is a cultural project that bridges music with disciplines such as theatre, literature and film, in constant dialogue with the territory. Founded in 2004 by the Ticino composer Mario Pagliarani as part of his Teatro del Tempo, it creates auditory experiences in unusual locations at unexpected times.

The format is a route walked on foot: concerts, readings and performances take place in woods, fields, quarries, on bridges or in buildings of architectural interest. The participants, known as “Viandanti”, who travel from Switzerland and further afield, contribute to the score as part of a pilgrimage. The programs are conceived like compositions, with the landscape forming the setting. Between the stations, the participants walk, discuss and listen, just as on a pilgrimage. The question running through La Via Lattea might be: Is there a secret relationship between music and the universe?

This creates an interplay between culture and nature that sharpens the perception of both contemporary and historical creations. Always on the move, discovering music and oneself: the world as a vast score, where everyone participates simultaneously as both composer and performer.

Excerpt from the jury statement

The continuous development of this festival, grounded in continuity and a tangible local impact, makes it a key fixture in the cultural landscape of Ticino and a model for how artistic exploration can generate new forms of participation.