ANA Group Festival of San Maurizio d'Opaglio (La Sgambàa D L'Alpin)

The 'black feather' festival on Lake Orta

In the municipality of San Maurizio d'Opaglio, overlooking the Novara side of Lake Orta, the local Alpini Group organizes its annual sectional festival, a highly anticipated event for the entire Cusio community. Part of the ANA Cusio-Omegna Section, the group has roots dating back to the early 20th century: founded around 1929, it celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2019 and its 95th in 2024, bearing witness to a history spanning nearly a century.

La Sgambàa D L'Alpin

The heart of the event is La Sgambàa D L'Alpin, a local dialect expression for the opening fun run: a non-competitive march through the town streets and surrounding hill trails, open to families, hikers, and curious visitors alike. It is the perfect opportunity to discover the beauty of the Cusio area while walking in good company, before gathering around the tables at the Baita.

Three days of Alpine tradition

The festival follows the rituals dear to the 'black feathers': the opening of the food stand with mountain culinary specialties, the flag-raising, the parade through the town streets accompanied by a marching band, the laying of wreaths at the war memorials, and Holy Mass animated by the Alpine choir. The event is rounded off by communal lunches and dinners that draw Alpini members and supporters from across the Province of Novara and neighboring valleys.

• Opening fun run: La Sgambàa D L'Alpin
• Food stand with traditional Alpine dishes
• Flag-raising, parade, and honors to the fallen
• Holy Mass with choir accompaniment
• Lunch and dinner at the Baita degli Alpini

A community gathering

More than just a simple festival, the Alpini Group Festival of San Maurizio d'Opaglio is a defining moment for the town and the Alpine Piedmont region: the values of solidarity, memory, and service that characterize the National Alpini Association translate into three days of authentic celebration, where the scent of home-cooked food mingles with the sound of the band and the memory of those who have passed. An ideal occasion to experience the spirit of the 'black feathers' and the hospitality of the Cusio area firsthand.