Rimella Carnival – Gran ballo del Barba

The Carnival of a Walser village

Rimella is one of the six Walser settlements south of Monte Rosa, a village clinging to the mountainside at an altitude of about one thousand meters in the upper Valsesia, in the province of Vercelli (Piedmont). Here, the tittschu—an ancient Alemannic dialect of medieval origin—is still spoken, and local traditions retain an archaic flavor that is also reflected in winter festivities. The Rimella Carnival, with its Gran ballo del Barba, is one of those events that withstands the test of time and the depopulation of mountain hamlets.

The Gran ballo del Barba

The heart of the Rimella Carnival is the grand dance night held in the Pro Loco hall, in the center of the village. It is a community festival in the most genuine sense: people dance, sing, wear masks, and stay together until late at night. The figure of the Barba—a term that in Alpine valleys refers to an uncle, a wise elder, or a senior member of the community—gives the evening its name and evokes its convivial, grassroots spirit. During the night, guest masks are presented, enlivening the dance floor alongside the local residents.

A Carnival in the Valsesia tradition

The event is part of the rich Valsesia Carnival calendar, which involves the entire valley from the lowland towns to the highest Walser hamlets, featuring dances, songs, masks, and gastronomic moments. In Rimella, the Carnival is not just about dancing: during the same period, the Pro Loco also hosts traditional communal meals featuring paniccia (the local panissa), a mountain dish served for lunch and dinner in the village halls by reservation.

Why it is worth it

Those looking for an authentic Carnival, without monumental floats but with all the warmth of a mountain community, will find a rare gem in Rimella. It is the perfect opportunity to discover one of the most evocative and identity-rich villages in Valsesia, where the festival is still a local affair rather than a tourist spectacle.