Brigoso: Exploring the Emilian Apennines Through the Eyes of Those Who Stay

A new guide in the Nonturismo series invites readers and visitors to explore the valleys of the rivers Reno, Setta, and Sambro through the voices of the communities that inhabit them.

Two public events, on 22 and 26 April 2026, offer the chance to engage with the project in person, at the foot of Monte Sole, in the province of Bologna.

A community-written guide to inner territories
On 17 April, Terre del Reno, Setta e Sambro. Appennino Emiliano hits bookshops across Italy. It is the seventh title in the Nonturismo series published by Ediciclo Editore, produced by Sineglossa and edited by writer Wu Ming 2, with illustrations by Alexia Tzimas.
Nontourism is a different way to discover places undergoing transformation, a philosophy of the encounter between local communities and those who come from outside and look for a true, responsible connection with places.
The seventh guide tells the story of three valleys in the Emilian Apennines not through the lens of conventional tourism, but through the words of those who live, work, and care for these places every day: workers, environmental guides, activists, artists, geographers. The community editorial team was coordinated by anthropologists Eleonora Adorni and Brenda Benaglia, while the graphic design is by Atelier Tatanka.

A genius loci called brigoso 

All the guides in the Nonturismo series are built around a genius loci - a spirit of place that, according to those who live there, defines the territory in a unique way. In the Terre del Reno, Setta and Sambro, that spirit is captured by the word brigoso: arduous, difficult, complicated. And yet, "taking the trouble" (prendersi la briga) also means committing oneself, embracing complexity, inventing solutions, and self-organising. It is a quality born from the constraints and possibilities of mountain life, and reflected in the choices of those who decide to stay.
The guide's three itineraries cross the upper eastern valleys, the upper western valleys at the foot of Corno alle Scale, and the middle Reno valley - where the hilly landscape
interweaves with the memory of the Liberation and the long-standing relationship with the city of Bologna.

A NEB-supported project 

The Nonturismo guide to the Terre del Reno, Setta e Sambro is an editorial project by
Sineglossa, produced with the support of the In Appennino project and in collaboration with the Unione dei Comuni dell'Appennino Bolognese. The project received backing from EIT Climate-KIC through the EIT NEB Enhance call of theEIT Community New European Bauhaus, alongside the support of Un altro Appennino è Possibile, Il Poggiolo – Rifugio Re_Esistente, and Officina 15.
The guide, as an outcome of the Nonturismo philosophy, embodies three core NEB values: beauty as a community-driven storytelling and visual narrative; inclusion through the participatory editorial process rooted in local knowledge; and sustainability as a practice of staying and choosing to inhabit and take care of fragile, inner territories.

Two events to launch the guide

Together with Il Poggiolo – Rifugio Re_Esistente, Sineglossa is organising two public events at Monte Sole, Marzabotto (BO), to mark the guide's release, meet the people who wrote it and explore the places it describes.
On Wednesday 22 April, a launch event will bring together the guide's contributors for a public conversation. Wu Ming 2 (writer and editor), Federico Bomba (President and Artistic Director of Sineglossa), illustrator Alessia Tzimas, Marco Tamarri (from Un altro Appennino è possibile), Francesca Marchi (from Unione dei Comuni dell'Appennino Bolognese), and Valentina Cuppi (Mayor of Marzabotto) will all be present. The event begins at 6:30 PM at Il Poggiolo – Rifugio Re_Esistente and is free to attend. A dinner is available on reservation by 18 April.
On Sunday 26 April, a guided walk with readings will follow the Sentiero del Postino from Pian di Venola railway station (9:15 AM) to Monte Sole (1:00 PM) — 6 km, 350 m elevation gain - with stops at the Church of Sperticano, the Church of Don Fornasini, and the Ruins of Caprara. Wu Ming 2 and members of the community editorial team will accompany participants. The walk is a ticketed event with limited places; a free shuttle back to Pian di Venola is included, and lunch at Il Poggiolo is available at a dedicated rate for participants.

To learn more and book

● Launch event (22 April): free entry, dinner reservation by 18 April Reservation form
● Guided walk (26 April): tickets via Eventbrite (full ticket €20, 2-person package €30,
3-person package €40, + booking fees)
● About Sineglossa and the Nonturismo series: visit sineglossa and
sineglossa.it/en/projects/nontourism