If you think an envelope is only good for holding a utility bill, Miasino is about to change your mind.<\/p>\n\n
From July 21 to 26, 2026<\/strong>, the village hosts the Borgo delle Buste Dipinte e delle Lettere,<\/strong> the debut edition of a special project by the Festival delle Lettere<\/a>: a week in which the streets of the village transform into a living trail of artworks, readings, children’s workshops and quiet corners where you can write a letter, or simply stand still for a moment.<\/p>\n\n It’s free, it’s outdoors, it’s perfect for a family half-day. And yes, it is quite literally on our doorstep.<\/p>\n\n The Borgo delle Buste Dipinte e delle Lettere is a diffuse cultural event<\/strong> that turns Miasino into an artistic and emotional trail built around letter writing and children’s drawing. Over 800 children<\/strong> from schools in Pettenasco, Orta San Giulio, Alzo, Vercelli, Borgomanero and Novara painted and decorated envelopes, turning them into small works of art. Those works now live across the village \u2014 along the streets, in shop windows, in gardens. Every corner has something to say.<\/p>\n\n The project is organised by the Festival delle Lettere, celebrating its XX edition, in collaboration with the Pro Loco di Miasino and the Municipality of Miasino, under the patronage of the Distretto Turistico dei Laghi, Monti e Valli dell’Ossola and Casa Rodari.<\/p>\n\n This event is meant to be experienced walking, map in hand, available at the entrance to Villa Nigra. The eight stops are designed to be followed without rushing, with children in tow, between a break at the bar and a session at the workshop.<\/p>\n\n 1. Village Entrance<\/strong> \u2014 via Martelli: the starting point, where the village begins to look like itself \u2014 only better.<\/p><\/p>\n\n 2. Villa Nigra Entrance<\/strong> \u2014 pick up your map here and get your bearings at the heart of the event.<\/p><\/p>\n\n 3. La Fermata delle Parole at Rial Bar<\/strong> \u2014 via Martelli 2: a place to leave a dedication, read a few lines, or simply sit and watch the world not scroll past.<\/p><\/p>\n\n 4. Villa delle Storie \/ Villa Nigra<\/strong> \u2014 the beating heart of the event, with three exhibitions to visit (see dedicated section below).<\/p><\/p>\n\n 5. Bar delle Lettere at Mea Caf\u00e8<\/strong> \u2014 Piazza Beltrami: where you can write a real letter, on real paper. No app. No send button. Just a pen.<\/p><\/p>\n\n 6. Ufficio delle Emozioni<\/strong> \u2014 via Sappa Marietti 6: Maddalena Berliat’s permanent workshop where you personalise your own paper and envelope. Irresistible for children, unexpectedly irresistible for adults who thought they had outgrown craft tables.<\/p><\/p>\n\n 7. Vicolo delle Buste Dipinte<\/strong> \u2014 via Cominazzini: the open-air gallery displaying the children’s works. The moment you realise that 800 kids armed with pencils and paintbrushes are an actual force of nature.<\/p><\/p>\n\n 8. Giardino dei Semplici<\/strong> \u2014 via Umberto I: the final stop, among the plants, to read or write surrounded by greenery and the specific kind of silence that only old Italian gardens know how to keep.<\/p><\/p>\n\n Villa Nigra is the main venue of the Borgo delle Buste Dipinte<\/strong> and hosts three separate exhibitions, all open during the event’s opening hours.<\/p><\/p>\n\n The Casa delle Lettere<\/strong> is the historical archive of the Festival delle Lettere, holding letters and correspondence collected across twenty years of the festival. Worth the trip on its own.<\/p><\/p>\n\n The Buste Dipinte Exhibition<\/strong> displays the works of the 800 children involved in the project: drawings, colours, tiny stories sealed inside a rectangle of paper.<\/p><\/p>\n\n The “Corrispondenza della Prima Guerra Mondiale” Exhibition<\/strong> presents original letters and postcards written by soldiers at the front and by refugees, from the archive of the Parish of San Zenone in Fossalta di Portogruaro (VE). A rare historical document, treated with the respect it deserves \u2014 which already says something, in an era when a ten-second story self-destructs before you’ve finished watching it.<\/p><\/p>\n\n Three dedicated sessions for children aged 4 and above \u2014 to paint their own envelope, take it home and start a correspondence with anyone who still enjoys opening a paper letter:<\/p>\n\nWhat is the Borgo delle Buste Dipinte e delle Lettere?<\/h2>\n\n
The Trail: Eight Stops to Follow on Foot (map included)<\/h3>\n\n
Villa Nigra: the Heart of the Event<\/h2>\n\n
Children’s Workshops: Dates, Times and How to Book<\/h2>\n\n