Le Passeggiate dell’Invisibile 2026
Third edition of the widespread festival of performing arts in nature
The most eagerly awaited event combining art, nature and community returns to the woods of the Madonie. Following the great success of the first two editions, the Castelbuono Civic Museum is launching the third edition of The Walks of the Invisible, a series of extraordinary experiences blending artistic performance, hiking and conviviality in the heart of Sicilian nature.
A project by the Civic Museum of Castelbuono Artistic direction and coordination: APS Il Cinghiale e la Balena With the support of the Minà Palumbo Natural History Museum, Castelbuono; the Municipality of Isnello, the Municipality of Petralia Sottana In collaboration with: Madonie Regional Forestry Corps, CTA Fauni Castelbuono, Agesci Castelbuono 1 Scout Group
A project born from the encounter between Art and Nature
The Walks of the Invisible stem from the collaboration between the Civic Museum of Castelbuono and the APS Il Cinghiale e la Balena, with the association providing artistic direction and coordination. The project aims to guide participants on an authentic rediscovery of our surroundings: invisible traces in nature, stories slumbering in the woods, memories emerging from the silence.
Each walk is designed to be accessible to families, children, older people and the curious, without the need for any particular physical preparation. The aim is as simple as it is profound: to be inspired by the beauty of nature, to get a bit of dirt on your hands, to share authentic moments and to create fantastic stories together.
How to take part
Participation fee: €5 per person per session · free for under-12s. Participation includes a voucher valid for 1 free entry to the Castelbuono Civic Museum throughout 2026. Booking is recommended via email: ilcinghialeelabalena@gmail.com
The format: nature, art and conviviality
Each event is structured around three distinct and complementary parts:
- A guided walk led by an artist and/or an expert naturalist, revealing nature as a living text, rich in signs, stories and invisible creatures.
- A site-specific artistic performance that is different each time — theatre, circus, puppetry, dance, music — designed specifically for the natural environment hosting it, with environmental and naturalistic themes and minimal sound impact.
- A shared zero-waste picnic with large chequered tablecloths on which everyone brings something to share with everyone else: a convivial moment that transforms strangers into a community.
Two years of success, a growing community
The first two editions (2024 and 2025) confirmed the validity of a formula capable of striking a deep chord with participants. Each walk welcomed between 30 and 70 people, from Castelbuono, the province of Palermo and more distant cities, creating a devoted and growing community around the project. The Walks have hosted nationally and internationally renowned artists and have tangibly demonstrated their ability to strengthen social bonds, rediscover the local area with fresh eyes and bring back childhood memories. Each gathering has been a place for exchange, new connections and shared wonder.
The 2026 edition: even more participatory
The third edition will bring new surprises, an even more engaging experience and a programme of high-quality performances. Some of the most important children’s theatre companies will be appearing in the Madonie mountains for the first time. The detailed programme:
The 2026 edition: even more participatory
The third edition will bring new surprises, an even more engaging experience and a programme of high-quality performances. Some of the most important children’s theatre companies will be appearing in the Madonie mountains for the first time. The detailed programme:
Sunday 15 March 2026 Hidden Castelbuono. Organised by the U’Game Association with the support of the F. Minà Palumbo Natural History Museum
Meeting point: Castelbuono Civic Museum at 9.00 am Surprise destination, somewhere in Castelbuono
An interactive walking game to discover the hidden nature amongst the streets of Castelbuono. A journey through incredible stories and the culture of the Madonie Park: places, sounds, scents, local fauna and flora, puzzles and laughter. Recommended age: All ages | Activity duration approx. 4 hours | Urban game for teams of any composition and age www.ugame.it
Event as part of the “Il Marzo di Minà” 2026 programme promoted by the F. Minà Palumbo Natural History Museum.
Sunday 19 April 2026 A Ugly and Wicked Witch. Compagnia Quintoequilibrio
Meeting point: Rifugio Crispi, Castelbuono at 10:00
Destination: Giant Roverella – Macchia dell’Inferno
This is a story of the forest. In this story there are animals and Felicia, who goes to live on the edge of the forest. The animals are worried; they say Felicia is an ugly, dirty and wicked witch! They say she does strange things, that she steals their happiness! They say that with her arrival she has upset the balance of the forest! They say that something must be done, immediately! All the animals agree. Absolutely all of them? This is the story of aproblem that is met with a clash but resolved through a meeting. A problem that, perhaps, isn’t really a problem at all… The show traces the story of the friendship between Tasso and Felicia. We will discover how Tasso managed to look courageously beyond his fears of the ‘witch’ Felicia, overcoming the prejudices and mistrust that the other animals of the forest, his friends, had instilled in him. www.quintoequilibrio.com
Recommended age: 6 years and over | Round-trip distance 4.8 km – Round-trip walking time 2h30
Difficulty level: hiking
Sunday 17 May 2026 Circle Song – Compagnia Circo Madera
Meet at the Petralia Sottana Hospital car park at 10:00 am. Destination: Castagno di Taccarelle
Circle Song is an interactive performance, an artistic practice of spontaneous musical creation through song and the body. It is an unconventional format of performance, where the audience is invited to gather in a circle with the artists, creating, through active participation, a collective musical experience that envelops the entire audience. This spontaneous, collective singing is facilitated by Flavia Chiacchella, who, standing at the centre of the circle, creates various musical patterns and presents them to the participants in the circle, who repeat them, thus giving life to an improvised vocal orchestra. Her free-spirited approach, rich in irony, experimentation, rhythm and world music, generates a playful and energetic atmosphere in which to experiment with invented languages and unconventional sounds. All this creates a welcoming environment that encourages participation, creativity and the free expression of every single voice contributing to the choral experience. https://www.circomadera.it
Recommended age: from 6 years
Distance (return) 6.6 km
Walking time (return) 2h30
Difficulty level: Tourist
Saturday, 12 September 2026
Little Red Riding Hood in the Woods – Zaches Teatro Company
Meeting point: Portella Colla, Isnello, SP 119 road, 10:00 a.m.
Destination: Rifugio V. Giumenta
A woodland is transformed into a liminal theatrical space, suspended between reality and dream, through the evocative power of puppetry, dance, and live music. Around the audience, immersed in the forest, the characters of the tale of Little Red Riding Hood move, appear, and disappear, bringing to life the well-known story of the girl and the wolf. The notes of the accordion intertwine with the narration of an eccentric storyteller who guides spectators as the story unfolds. The forest is the place of mystery par excellence: it fascinates, conceals, and reveals. The forest allows for disobedience: far from the watchful eyes of mothers, children transgress, confronting dangers and risks—in other words, their own fears. Zaches Teatro is a Tuscan company that has received numerous awards in Italy and abroad for its productions suitable for all ages. For more information about the company: www.zachesteatro.com
Recommended age: 4+
Return distance: 6.7 km
Walking duration (return): 2 hrs 30 mins
Difficulty: hiking
Sunday, 25 October 2026
The Great Forest – Luigi D’Elia
Meeting point: Masseria Rocca di Gonato, 10:00 a.m. – Castelbuono
Destination: Rifugio CAS Vicaretto
Directed by Francesco Niccolini
Written by Francesco Niccolini and Luigi D’Elia
Performed and created by Luigi D’Elia
In a small, unnamed village, a boy grows up between school, home, and a vast forest. He walks to school, runs, and refuses to wait: he wants to grow up quickly and become a hunter, like his grandfather. His grandfather, however, teaches him slowness, the discovery of the forest and its rules—of a world that is disappearing, yet for those who know how to observe it patiently, is immeasurably more beautiful than the one we are building. In the nearby forest, mysterious and full of life, a wolf hides, as ancient as a legend. But one day, fear arrives in the village, innocence is lost, and the boy and his grandfather must set out to track the wolf. Something in the forest, at the end of time, in the scent of the wolf, awaits all three of them.
www.luigidelia.it
Winner of the EOLO Awards National Prize 2013 for Children’s Theatre
Recommended age: 7+
Return distance: 5.6 km
Walking duration (return): 2 hrs
Difficulty: Tourist
Sunday, 15 November 2026
The Myth of the Red Rose – I Trovatori Company
Meeting point: Hermitage of San Guglielmo, 10:00 a.m. – Castelbuono
Destination: CTA Fauni
A journey through myth and imagination, where we discover that ancient tales conceal deep wisdom. The performance weaves together the magic of Greek myths with the lively, playful spirit of medieval giullarata. The myth of Aphrodite and Adonis tells of a love that is both powerful and fragile, speaking of beauty, courage, and the mystery of human emotions. The legend of the red rose’s origin—born of blood and love—becomes a symbol of what can grow and bloom again even after pain. Through comic interludes, music, and moments of reflection, the two jesters remind us that every emotion—from joy to fear, from jealousy to wonder—is part of the great game of life and love.
Recommended age: 4+
Return distance: 3 km
Walking duration (return): 1 hr 30 mins
Difficulty: Tourist