CHEESE LAB
Tasting workshops curated by the cheesemakers and winemakers of the Cheese Valleys
Saturday 25 october – 10:00
Sala Sant’Agata – Circolino
That branch of Lake Como – Mazzoleni Cheeses
Tradition and innovation passed down through generations.
Saturday 25 october – 15:30
Sala Sant’Agata – Circolino
The Orobic Valle Camonica – Tino Canti, a herdsman from another time
Mountain pasture cheeses, PAT “casatta,” and 100% cow’s milk specialties.
Saturday 25 october – 16:30
Sala Sant’Agata – Circolino
Valtellina to experience – I Tracimati at the Circolino
An encounter to explore the many nuances of Valtellina cheeses and wines, and to share…
Saturday 25 october – 17:30
Sala Sant’Agata – Circolino
The Prince of the Orobie – Alfio Sassella’s Cheeses (Alpe Cavizzola)
Tasting of four vintages of Storico Ribelle (2019–2025).
Sunday 26 october – 10:00
Sala Sant’Agata – Circolino
Antico Alpeggio Camisolo – Four Vintages, a Tale from the Orobie
Tasting of a vertical selection of Camisolo 2022–2025.
Sunday 26 october – 15:30
Sala Sant’Agata – Circolino
Silter and Valle Camonica – A Journey into the Heart of Brescia
Silter PDO and mountain pasture specialties.
Sunday 26 october – 16:30
Sala Sant’Agata – Circolino
Casera and Its Evolution – with Latteria di Chiuro
From young Casera to aged varieties + butter.
Sunday 26 october – 17:30
Sala Sant’Agata – Circolino
The Poetry of Milk – Carozzi Cheeses from Valsassina
Taleggio and Gorgonzola reinterpreted with passion.
SPACES AND EVENTS
Spaces and events: conferences, Cheese Valleys cheese market, Cheese Park, and tastings
Sala Giunta CCIAA Bergamo
CONVEGNI – FORME
Press conference
Loggiato Palazzo della Ragione – Piazza Vecchia
PIAZZA MERCATO DELLE CHEESE VALLEYS – FORME
Mercato coperto dedicato alle produzioni casearie artigianali delle Cheese Valleys.
Giardini del Circolino
CHEESE VALLEYS PARK
Market and food court of the food and wine excellences of the Orobic Valleys.
Città Bassa – Sentieron, Teatro Donizetti side
CHEESE PARK
Market and food court of the Creative Cities of Gastronomy — Bergamo, Alba, and Parma
Bergamo Wine Experience – ChorusLife
CHEESE MEETS WINE
Bergamo Wine Experience at Choruslife
Loggiato Palazzo della Ragione
THE CALÈCC MEETS THE EVENTS OF THE CHEESE VALLEYS
For its 10th edition and to celebrate the union of the Cheese Valleys, Forme becomes itinerant!
THE CALÈCC MEETS THE EVENTS OF THE CHEESE VALLEYS
Calècc is a highly emblematic element which characterized the western Orobics dairy industry. Once a symbol of the great and ancient dairy tradition of the territory, unfortunately, today it risks becoming an archeological relic. It is a simple “dairy hut” (approx. 4 X 5 m.) made of dry wall between 1 and 1.5 m. high without fixed roofing. The roofing consists of a waterproof canvass sheet resting on perches fixed to the ground and tied to the walls. In good weather, this canvass is partly removed to get rid of smoke. Nowadays, the calècc is seldom used as there are usually farmhouses in the vicinity for the staff to sleep in.
Every mountain farm station had a number of calècc and each year only one of these was used. This was because to move equipment and utensils from one calècc to the other was time consuming and costly, especially the bulky cauldron. With rain and wind, the working of milk in these structures became difficult.
The calècc are regarded as emblems of mountain food culture in the Bitto valley and the neighboring ones, such as Tartano,Lesina, Brembana and Varrone. There are no functioning calècc remaining except in the Bitto valley.
WHAT IS FORME PROJECT
A benchmark for the ITALIAN dairy sector, a stage for UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy, a catalyst for the development of the Orobie Cheese Valleys, a spectacular market exhibition, Cheese Labs, conferences, tastings, and kids’ workshops — FORME is all this, and much more.
10 anni di sapori condivisi
FORME is a network project dedicated to the national and international promotion and enhancement of the entire Italian dairy sector. The project was born in Bergamo in 2015 and has grown over the years from the initiative of the Bergamo Chamber of Commerce, which sought to recognize the city’s central role in the dairy industry thanks to its PDO productions and its deeply rooted agricultural and artisanal traditions carried on for centuries in the surrounding valleys. Each edition of FORME brings together producers, affineurs, chefs, institutions, and enthusiasts from all over the world, with the goal of celebrating cheese as a cultural, identity, and economic heritage of the territory.
Bergamo is the natural stage for this journey, boasting an unparalleled dairy tradition. The area holds the European record for PDO cheeses: 9 of Italy’s 53 PDOs are produced within the province. This distinction led in 2019 to Bergamo’s recognition as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy and the title of “European Cheese Capital.”
10 years of shared flavors
Now in its tenth edition, FORME is more than just a festival: it is a vast container of events, ideas, and relationships in constant evolution, while still pursuing the same goals.
The FORME project aims to raise awareness, because cheese is not just food — it is also history, territory, and community. It does so through experiences and connections involving experts, delegations, enthusiasts, and curious visitors from all over the world: a global table around which to discuss and taste the best of Italian dairy tradition.
