Désarpa di Vertosan

An ancestral mountain rite

The Désarpa di Vertosan – in Aosta Valley Patois Dezarpe – is the festival of demontication, the return of the herds from high-altitude pastures to the valley floor at the end of the summer season. In Saint-Nicolas, in the Province of Aosta, this tradition retains an authentic and genuine spirit: as the organizers recall, it is "an ancestral rite that has always marked the rhythm of the seasons in the mountains".

The descent from the Alps

The herds start from the villages of Vens (Saint-Nicolas) and Vedun (Avise), crossing the Vertosan valley, and descend to the main village of Saint-Nicolas, in Fossaz Dessous. Leading the procession are the Regine (Queens), the strongest cows, adorned according to custom with floral arrangements and branches. Their arrival in the village is accompanied by the sound of cowbells and the curiosity of residents and visitors.

Village festival and typical products

A true community festival develops around the demontication: a market of artisanal and typical products in Fossaz Dessous, a communal lunch organized by the local association, and musical entertainment in the afternoon. The Désarpa di Vertosan is not a show staged for tourism, but an identity-defining moment that tells the story of the pastoral culture of the Aosta Valley.