Fehta dou Pan Ner - Sagra del Pane Nero di Perloz

The black bread that comes back to life

The Fehta dou Pan Ner (in local patois, the black bread festival) is the festival of black rye bread from Perloz, a municipality in Bassa Valle d'Aosta overlooking the Lys valley. The event takes place in the picturesque locality of Marine, where a very ancient communal wood-fired oven, the heart of the village, is relit every year specifically for the occasion.

A tradition that starts from afar

The preparation of the bread begins about a week before the festival and continues until Sunday. Rye bread was historically enriched with chestnuts, cumin, and dried fruit and then preserved for months on the ratelë, the wooden racks typical of Aosta Valley alpine culture. When the bread dried out, it was broken with a special tool called a copapan. Founded in 1975 by the Pro Loco of Perloz, the festival is an act of remembrance and community.

The flavours of the festival

Around the freshly baked black bread, a traditional lunch is built: roast kid, sausages, and the inevitable polenta, in a menu that tells the story of the mountain cuisine of the Lys valley. The festival thus combines the rediscovery of ancient artisanal knowledge with the pleasure of conviviality.

An authentic event in Bassa Valle

The Fehta dou Pan Ner is much more than a gastronomic festival: it is a journey into the material culture of the Aosta Valley, through communal ovens, mountain cereals, and gestures passed down from generation to generation. An experience that allows you to discover Perloz and its territory in their most genuine dimension.