Saint Costanzo Festival and Lou Bal di Bran

A unique Alpine tradition in the Susa Valley

The Saint Costanzo Festival is the patronal feast of Meana di Susa, a small town in the Susa Valley, within the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont. Held annually on the Sunday closest to September 18th, it is one of the community's most cherished identity-defining events. Its uniqueness lies in the fusion of Christian religious tradition with ancient pre-Christian ritual elements linked to the fertility of the land and the renewal of life.

Lou Bal di Bran: the dance of the tree of life

The most anticipated moment is Lou Bal di Bran, which takes place after vespers on the church parvis. The bran are two large, tapered structures, several meters high, built on a frame covered in fabric and paper, and adorned with flowers, fruits, and ribbons. Their elongated shape evokes the tree of life: in the local dialect, branc means branch, and scholars link the ritual to the tradition of the Maypole, a symbol of spring festivals. The bran are danced by the most exuberant young men with precise choreography—starting with steady movements and becoming increasingly vigorous—while lucky flowers and fruits fall to be collected by children as amulets.

The Priore and the rite of passage

The stars of the festival are the Priore, two young women from the village wearing the traditional Coustum: a white Dauphiné-style cap, a large gold cross, a bodice, a lace-trimmed petticoat, a dark high-waisted dress, a fringed silk shawl, and a matching apron. Presented to the community, they symbolize the transition to adulthood for the village girls. During the festival, the current year's Priore choose their successors in a ritual of continuity passed down through generations, accompanied by branquët, small wooden replicas representing the passing of the torch.

The day's program

• Morning: Gathering on the church parvis and solemn procession accompanied by the marching band, followed by Holy Mass in honor of Saint Costanzo.
• Afternoon: Celebration of vespers followed by the Lou Bal di Bran on the parvis, the highlight of the festival.
• Evening: Public dances in the Salone Polivalente to conclude the day in a convivial atmosphere.

A heritage to discover

The Saint Costanzo Festival in Meana di Susa is included among the Alpine Rites of the Susa Valley and is considered one of the most precious ethnographic testimonies of the western Alps. For those visiting the Susa Valley, witnessing the Bal di Bran means connecting with a millennial collective memory where the sacred and the profane, faith and nature, continue to dialogue in a village overlooking the Colle delle Finestre.