Saint Anthony Festival in Pagliero

A tradition that survives in the upper Maira Valley

In Pagliero, a tiny hamlet in the municipality of San Damiano Macra in the province of Cuneo, traditions are still at home. Every year, in mid-January, this corner of the upper Maira Valley comes back to life thanks to the Saint Anthony Festival, a heartfelt event that brings together the few remaining residents and all those who, despite living elsewhere, return punctually to maintain the thread of a collective memory. It is one of those mountain festivals where the religious, communal, and convivial dimensions merge into a single day.

The old church and the procession

The heart of the festival is the mass in the old church dedicated to Saint Anthony, cleaned and decorated for the occasion with historic wooden candelabras. The celebration is accompanied by the songs of the La Reis choir, which gives voice to a repertoire deeply linked to the territory. At the end of the service, the procession with the statue of the Saint takes place, marked by the sound of the baudetta, the traditional instrument that announces the passage of the parade along the narrow streets of the hamlet.

The 'incanto', a moment of celebration and solidarity

After the procession, the incanto begins on the churchyard: a charity auction of donated products and objects, during which participants bid while chatting, enjoying hot drinks and sweets prepared by volunteers. It is the most anticipated and attended moment, where the proceeds support the maintenance of the church and the activities of the hamlet.

The walk and the Zabreri brothers exhibition

For those who want to fully experience the day, there is the possibility of reaching Pagliero on foot: the meeting point is the square of San Damiano Macra, from where a walk starts, accompanied by a breakfast offered by the organizers. During the day, it is also possible to visit the exhibition dedicated to the master stonemasons, the Zabreri brothers, a precious testimony to the stone art that has marked the artistic history of the Maira Valley.

Why it is worth going up to Pagliero

The Saint Anthony Festival in Pagliero is not a show built for tourists: it is a real festival, made of people who return home for a day. For those visiting the province of Cuneo and Piedmont in winter, it is an opportunity to discover an otherwise silent hamlet, to listen to the songs of the La Reis choir within the walls of an ancient church, and to participate in a community ritual that resists the depopulation of the mountains.