CourentaMai — Courenta and Linguistic Minority Dance Festival (Pessinetto stop)

CourentaMai in Pessinetto: Tradition looking forward

In the small village of Pessinetto, nestled in the Lanzo Valleys in the province of Turin, CourentaMai offers one of its most intimate stops: an evening dedicated to music and the courenta, the ancient Renaissance-era dance that has survived in the western Alpine valleys. As part of the widespread festival of courenta and linguistic minority dances, the Pessinetto event ideally concludes the festival, following the grand day of dancing in Mezzenile, transporting the audience into a suspended space of sounds, words, and images.

What is the courenta

The courenta — the "running dance" — has Renaissance origins and has reached us with historical continuity only in certain valleys of the Western Alps: the Lanzo Valleys, the Vermenagna Valley, the Varaita Valley, and a few others. It is a precious intangible heritage, guarded by the Franco-Provençal and Occitan communities of the territory, which CourentaMai has been promoting for over a decade through workshops, concerts, and dances open to everyone.

The Pessinetto stop at Osteria L'Circul

The evening in Pessinetto takes place at Osteria L'Circul, an authentic venue in the heart of the village, in a cozy and convivial atmosphere. Here, the festival presents a concert exploring linguistic and musical biodiversity: a suspended space created by drone music, where instruments like bagpipes and sax engage in a dialogue with electronics and visuals. Universal themes — the figure of women, war, migration — run through the performance, giving the tradition a contemporary voice capable of speaking to the present.

A widespread festival in the Lanzo Valleys

CourentaMai is not a one-day or one-location event: it is a widespread festival that connects several municipalities in the Lanzo Valleys. The heart of the edition takes place in Mezzenile, at the Castello dei Conti Francesetti, with workshops, concerts, and the grand evening dance; the Pessinetto stop adds a more intimate and musical moment, ideal for those who love sound research and the fusion of ancient and modern.

Who organizes it

The event was born from an idea by the artistic-musical group Blu L'Azard, with the coordination of the associations Chambra d'Oc, Tsambra Francoprovensal, and Lo Stivale che Balla. CourentaMai is sponsored by the Metropolitan City of Turin and has become a reference point for those in Piedmont who want to experience the culture of Alpine linguistic minorities up close.

Why it's worth it

The Pessinetto stop is perfect for those seeking an authentic experience, far from mass tourism circuits: an evening of live music in a mountain tavern, where you can listen to rare sounds and discover a cultural biodiversity unique to the Alpine landscape. An opportunity to get to know the Lanzo Valleys and the most genuine side of Piedmont.