Fora l'Ours – Bear Festival

Fora l'Ours: The ritual that chases away winter in Mompantero

There is a corner of the upper Susa Valley where, every year at the end of January, winter is chased away with music, wine, and dance. We are in Mompantero, a small municipality in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, at the foot of the Rocciamelone massif. Here, in the picturesque village of Urbiano, the Fora l'Ours—literally «Out with the Bear!»—is renewed, one of the oldest and most meaningful traditional festivals in the western Alps.

A tradition lost in time

The origins of the Fora l'Ours are lost in the mists of time, and there is no certain date for its inception. The festival is linked to the feast of Saint Brigid, the patron saint of Urbiano, and intertwines with the Christian Candlemas and the ancient Celtic calendar of Imbolc, a moment of transition from winter to spring. The bear, an animal that emerges from hibernation at this time of year, thus becomes the ultimate symbol of winter retreating and nature reawakening.

Legend tells of a barbaric, fur-covered creature that appeared at the foot of Rocciamelone, terrorizing the local population until the inhabitants managed to tame it with wine and dancing. This is the heart of the ritual: the bear—played by a man whose identity must remain secret, dressed in goat skins sewn with wire—is captured by hunters, led into the square amidst shouting and thrashing, and calmed with wine poured from a large funnel, leading to the climactic Bear Dance with the prettiest girl in the village.

Three days of festivities in the village of Urbiano

The event spans an entire weekend, combining ritual moments, food and wine, and conviviality. It opens with the Bear Hunt dedicated to children through the streets of Urbiano, continues with the famous Mingia e Beiva («Eat and Drink») food and wine tour, and culminates on Sunday with Mass in the chapel of Saint Brigid, a parade with the marching band, and the Bear Dance, followed by awards and the traditional merenda sinoira (afternoon snack) offered by the Pro Loco.

An event to experience

Organized by the Pro Loco Mompantero with the collaboration of local associations, the Fora l'Ours attracts many visitors every year from across the Susa Valley and the Turin area. It is the perfect opportunity to discover the authenticity of an Alpine village, its flavors, and a ritual that has its roots in a distant past, yet remains vibrant and widely participated in today.