Fîra d'la Calà and Mustardela Festival

The Fîra d'la Calà: returning from the high pastures

The Fîra d'la Calà is a fair that, since time immemorial, has marked the calata in Bobbio Pellice, the descent of livestock from summer pastures to the valley floor. Traditionally held on the last Sunday of October, it serves as the autumn counterpart to the Fîra d'la Pouià in May, which celebrates the herds' ascent to the mountains. This ancient transhumance ritual has defined life for centuries in this community, the last town in the Val Pellice on the French border, in the Province of Turin, Piedmont.

The livestock parade

The most anticipated and evocative moment is the parade of the herds, which cross the town center along Via Villanova with their cowbells ringing. It is a spectacle that showcases centuries-old alpine farming practices: about twenty livestock farms that use the nine municipal pastures during the summer participate in the event. The farmers, the true protagonists of a tradition that the Fîra helps to pass down, march alongside their animals.

The Mustardela Festival

The fair is paired with the Mustardela Festival, dedicated to the typical Val Pellice sausage, known for its intense, aromatic flavor similar to a spiced cotechino. Mustardela is enjoyed fresh, sliced on bread, or cooked with onions and potatoes. Alongside this product, other valley delicacies take center stage, such as Toma d'Alpeggio, a cow's milk cheese that is sweet when young and more robust when aged, and the Saras del Fen.

Market, tastings, and celebrations

Throughout the event, the town hosts a large agricultural and craft market with about sixty exhibitors of local products, tasting stalls, exhibitions, and music. There is no shortage of social gatherings, such as the lunch organized by the Fair Committee in honor of the farmers, family entertainment, and evening food and wine events in the style of a "Bobbioktoberfest." In recent years, the program has been enriched with the traditional Morra Tournament, falconry displays, crossbow and archery exhibitions, and street food offerings.

An unmissable event in Val Pellice

The Fîra d'la Calà is much more than just a festival: it is a celebration of the deep bond between the community of Bobbio Pellice, its mountains, and its pastures. For visitors, it is the ideal opportunity to discover the authenticity of the Piedmontese Val Pellice, savor local products, and experience a living, vibrant rural tradition firsthand.