Written and Directed by Paola Rossi
Historical Consultant: Angelo Chemin
Featuring Carlo Presotto and the Coenobium Vocale choir conducted by Maria Dal Bianco
Video Projections by Carlo Presotto in collaboration with Mauro Zocchetta
Technical Director: Federico Fracasso
National Premiere

In 1124 Pons of Melgueil, the seventh abbot of Cluny, having returned from the Holy Land, arrived at the mouth of the Brenta Valley. Passing through this area was the route that Albert of Stade would later describe, in the mid-13th century, as an itinerary connecting northern Germany to Rome. Here, Pons founded the monastery dedicated to the Holy Cross and the Mother of God, destined to become an important spiritual and cultural crossroads.

Several monks from Cluny would request to transfer to the monastery founded by Pons, and following the abbot's death in 1126, the monastery was aggregated, in 1127, into the prominent Cluniac monastery of San Benedetto Po.

Nine hundred years after the founding of the Campese monastery, set within the atmospheric surroundings of the church, the performance commemorates its founder by retracing the destiny of this charismatic and controversial figure: from leading one of Europe's most powerful monastic centers to his dismissal; from his pilgrimage to the Holy Land to his arrival in the Brenta Valley; and from the founding of the new monastery to his dramatic end.

Carlo Presotto steps into the shoes of Abbot Pons, bringing to life his extraordinary spiritual and human journey, interwoven with the history of his time, through a rigorous yet captivating narrative. The stage design utilizes video projections that enhance the monastic architecture and enrich the story with evocative imagery. The selection of the Coenobium Vocale choir underscores the attention given to the musical dimension of the performance—a fundamental element in evoking the historical and religious context of the story.

In the background lies the monastery of today: the beating heart of a community, and a place of study, culture, connection, and spirituality.

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