Patronal Feast of the Most Holy Trinity

The patronal feast of Balme

Every year, the community of Balme, the highest and most remote village in the Valli di Lanzo in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, gathers to honor its patron, the Most Holy Trinity. Traditionally held on the first Sunday after Pentecost, the feast shares its name with the village parish church and stands as one of the most cherished moments of the year for this village of just over a hundred inhabitants, nestled at the foot of Pian della Mussa.

A church, a history

The heart of the celebration is the Church of the Most Holy Trinity, consecrated in 1775 by the will of Archbishop Francesco Luserna Rorengo di Rorà to replace an older building. Built in a sober Baroque style with a Greek cross plan, the parish church tells the story of centuries of mountain life: pastoralism, ancient mining activities, trade with Savoy across passes over three thousand meters high, and, from the second half of the 19th century, the extraordinary epic of alpine guides. Antonio Castagneri, a pioneer of Italian winter mountaineering, hailed from Balme, and the Franco-Provençal language and traditional male costume, the màii dou bort, are still kept alive here.

The 2026 Festival dei Saperi

In 2026, the Patronal Feast of the Most Holy Trinity joined the Festival dei Saperi, a widespread festival promoted by the Unione Montana Valli di Lanzo, Ceronda e Casternone that involves fifteen municipalities in the region from May to September. Conceived as an open book made of people, traditions, art, nature, and community, the festival showcases the tangible and intangible heritage of the valleys by networking events, associations, and institutions. The Balme stop is described as two days dedicated to the appreciation of history and culture, accessible to all.

Between faith and alpine tradition

The feast combines the religious dimension—liturgical celebrations in the parish church—with a community and cultural aspect, featuring gatherings of residents and those who have emigrated and return to the village for the occasion. It is also an opportunity to discover the Ecomuseo di Balme, dedicated to the history of alpine guides and local ethnography, and to immerse oneself in the authentic atmosphere of a village that has made the mountains and its own roots an identity to be preserved.