Chantar l'Uvèrn – Events in Sant'Antonino di Susa

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

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

A festival spread across thirty municipalities

Now in its 17th edition, the event involves about thirty municipalities in the Alpine valleys, along with natural parks and eco-museums, with a rich calendar of events: performances, folk concerts, conferences, book presentations, films, language courses, and singing and dance workshops. It is promoted by the Management Body of the Protected Areas of the Cottian Alps in collaboration with the Chambra d'Oc association, the Documentation Center of Oral Memory of Giaglione, and the Metropolitan City of Turin. The historical subtitle, «From Candlemas to May 1st», perfectly captures the long reach of a festival that accompanies the entire winter until spring.

The events in Sant'Antonino di Susa

In Sant'Antonino di Susa, a municipality in the lower Susa Valley in the Province of Turin, the festival stops at the Farmacia del sapere, the civic library on Via Torino 147. The common thread of the local events is the bond between singing and walking: the presentation of the book «Tsant'an tsamin – Canta in cammino», edited by Marco Rey, recounts ten years of itinerant singing in the Cenischia, Susa, and Sangone valleys, exploring walking as a collective ritual and the Franco-Provençal language as a still-living mother tongue. An intimate event with a strong identity, weaving together oral memory, folk music, and linguistic preservation.

Why it's worth it

• An authentic journey into Occitan and Franco-Provençal culture, far from mass tourism circuits.
• The opportunity to discover a unique linguistic heritage in Italy, protected as a minority language.
• An easily accessible event in the lower Susa Valley, part of a wider program that touches all the Alpine valleys of the Turin area.
• The cozy and convivial atmosphere of the civic library, among books, singing, and oral tradition.

The events in Sant'Antonino di Susa are an integral part of the most authentic Alpine Piedmont: an invitation to experience winter not just on the slopes, but also within the millenary culture of its valleys.