Chantar l'Uvèrn – Evening in Cesana Torinese

Chantar l'Uvèrn, the winter that sings of the Occitan valleys

Chantar l'Uvèrn – which means «singing the winter» in the Occitan language – is one of the most deeply rooted cultural festivals in the Turin Alps. Born in 2006 in the wake of the Turin Winter Olympics with the «Occitan lenga olimpica» project, it enlivens the cold months every year with dozens of events scattered across the Susa, Chisone, Sangone, and Germanasca valleys. The common thread is the promotion of the three historical minority languages of these territories: Occitan, Franco-Provençal, and French.

A festival spread across thirty municipalities

The event involves over thirty municipalities in the Alpine valleys, along with natural parks and local ecomuseums, in a programme that spans music, theatre, cinema, anthropological conferences, language courses, traditional dances, and book presentations. It is promoted by the Management Body of the Cottian Alps Protected Areas together with Chambra d'Oc, the Documentation Centre of Oral Memory of Giaglione, and the Metropolitan City of Turin. Its historical subtitle, «From Candlemas to May 1st», perfectly captures the long reach of a festival that accompanies the entire winter until spring.

The Cesana Torinese event

In Cesana Torinese, a municipality in the upper Susa Valley in the Province of Turin, the festival stops at the Sala Formont on Via Pinerolo for an evening dedicated to traditional Occitan music and dance. Cesana, the gateway to the Vialattea ski area and overlooking Mount Chaberton, is one of the hearts of Occitan border culture: here, the language and Occitan dances are part of a living heritage, shared with the French valleys beyond the watershed.

Why it's worth it

• An authentic evening of Occitan music and dance, far from mass tourism circuits.
• The opportunity to discover a linguistic heritage unique in Italy, protected as a minority language.
• An event included in a wider programme that touches all the Occitan Alpine valleys of the Turin area.
• The intimate and convivial atmosphere typical of mountain festivals, where the audience is invited to dance.

The Cesana evening is an integral part of the most authentic Alpine Piedmont: an invitation to experience winter not only on the slopes but also within the ancient culture of its valleys.