Chanto Elvo – Village Festival

A mountain festival in the heart of the Upper Maira Valley

Chanto Elvo is the festival of the Chanto hamlet, part of the municipality of Elva in the province of Cuneo, one of the highest and most isolated villages in Piedmont. Perched between 1,500 and 1,600 meters above sea level in the Upper Maira Valley, Elva is a place that has preserved its Occitan identity intact. The June festival is one of the most cherished occasions for locals to gather among the stone houses and pastures of the hamlet, rediscovering the gestures and sounds of an ancient alpine civilization.

Faith, songs, and ancient crafts

The day begins with Holy Mass at the Colle San Giovanni chapel, a spiritual moment immersed in a breathtaking panorama of the valley's mountains. This is followed by an aperitif at high altitude and a lunch in the square, prepared by community volunteers, which serves as the convivial heart of the festival. In the afternoon, the village resonates with Occitan folk songs performed by local groups—guardians of a repertoire rooted in the centuries, often culminating in the famous anthem Se Chanto, sung with arms crossed as a sign of belonging.

Traditional farming competitions

The most characteristic feature of Chanto Elvo are the competitions that evoke the work of the past in the mountain fields and woods:

• Garo dal daj — the hand-mowing competition with a scythe, a skill once essential for haymaking in the steep meadows of the valley;
• Garo dal trouplou — the log-cutting competition, a test of strength and precision linked to forestry work.

These are spectacular and engaging moments that combine the spirit of friendly competition with the preservation of rural memory.

Elva and its Occitan heritage

Visiting Elva during Chanto Elvo means connecting with the Occitan culture of the Cuneo valleys: a language, music, and tradition that are still very much alive here. The festival is organized by the Pro Loco of Elva "La Deseno" with the support of the Upper Maira Valley Ecomuseum, set in a natural landscape of rare beauty that is worth the journey up the winding panoramic roads leading to the village.