Fëta de l'Ano - Festa dell'Asino e Palio degli Asini di Ollomont

A festival celebrating the village's memory

The Fëta de l'Ano (in Patois Valdôtain, the donkey festival) is one of the most cherished traditions of Ollomont, a small municipality in Valpelline, Aosta Valley. It takes place every year on the third Sunday of July and dates back to the seventies. The festival was created to commemorate the significant presence of donkeys, once essential in the village: these pack animals transported materials from the village to the mountain pastures and were indispensable in the mining activities that marked Ollomont's history.

The Palio degli Asini

The main attraction is the Palio degli Asini, a thrilling race that pits teams from various municipalities in the Aosta Valley and Italy against each other. Each team consists of three people: two try to persuade the animal—known for its stubbornness—to complete the course in the shortest possible time, while an impromptu jockey stays firmly in the saddle. The result is a competition that is as hard-fought as it is hilarious, entertaining both adults and children.

Flavors of tradition

The festival is also a gastronomic occasion: participants are offered a rich tasting of dishes based on donkey meat, accompanied by the inevitable polenta, fontina, and local cheeses. A menu that tells the story of Valpelline's mountain cuisine and celebrates the bond between the community, its animals, and the land.

An event to discover Ollomont

Participating in the Fëta de l'Ano means connecting with the authentic soul of an alpine village in the Aosta Valley, far from the major tourist flows, where popular traditions are still alive and shared by the entire community.