Elva Market and Entertainment Day

A village festival in the heart of the Maira Valley

There is a summer day when Elva, a small municipality in the province of Cuneo clinging to the slopes of the Maira Valley at over 1,600 metres, fills with voices, colours, and music. It is the Market and Entertainment Day, the summer event that the Pro Loco "La Deseno" dedicates to crafts and entertainment, bringing together locals, holidaymakers, and hikers in the square of Borgata Serre, the administrative and social heart of the village.

Markets, lunch in the square, and old-fashioned games

The day follows the slow and genuine rhythm of the Occitan mountains. From the morning, market stalls enliven the village with artisanal products and local specialities; at noon, the community gathers for lunch in the square, a convivial moment that has always been the centrepiece of Elva's festivals. In the afternoon, music arrives with a live concert and, most importantly, traditional games: tug-of-war and sack races, pastimes of yesteryear that endure here through the seasons and bring smiles to both young and old.

Elva, village of the "Pelassiers" and Hans Clemer's masterpieces

Visiting Elva during the festival also means discovering one of the most authentic villages in the Cuneo Alps. Occitan is still spoken here, and the memory of the Pelassiers, the famous hair collectors chronicled in the Caviè Museum, is preserved. A few steps from the square stands the Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta, a treasure chest of extraordinary Renaissance frescoes by Hans Clemer, the "Master of Elva," created around 1493. During the summer, the church can be visited on specific days, completing an experience that combines celebration, nature, and great art.

A whole summer of events

The Market Day is part of the rich summer calendar curated by the Pro Loco "La Deseno," which accompanies the most beautiful months with patronal feasts, community lunches, folk songs, excursions, and walks in the nature of the Elva Valley. It is the ideal occasion for those seeking slow, village-style tourism, far from crowded destinations, where the traditions of the Alpine Piedmont are still alive and real.