Saint Mary Magdalene Patronal Festival

A patronal festival in the heart of the Varaita Valley

The Saint Mary Magdalene Patronal Festival is the most anticipated event of the year for Pontechianale, a small municipality in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont, nestled in the upper Varaita Valley at the foot of Monviso. The celebration takes place in the Maddalena hamlet, the municipal seat, and centers around the patron saint's day on July 22nd.

Faith and Occitan tradition

The heart of the festival is the procession in traditional costume, which winds through the village, accompanying the saint's statue, often reaching the picturesque Pontechianale lake. Alongside the solemn mass celebrated in the chapel dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene, a highly anticipated moment is the incanto: a traditional auction of items and artisanal goods, with proceeds going toward church maintenance. The festival is organized annually by the massari, the individuals tasked with overseeing the event, acting as guardians of a custom passed down through generations.

Music, dance, and mountain conviviality

Beyond the religious aspect, the Pontechianale festival is a social gathering for the entire upper valley community. Evenings come alive in the squares and streets of the hamlet with Occitan music, concerts, activities for children, and convivial gatherings like the polenta feast followed by traditional dances. The Varaita Valley is one of the Occitan valleys of the Cuneo area, and the festival reflects this unique cultural identity, rooted in the language, music, and dances of the southwestern Alpine valleys of Piedmont.

Why it's worth visiting

• An authentic glimpse of Alpine patronal tradition, far from mass tourism.
• The natural setting of the upper Varaita Valley, between the Pontechianale lake and Monviso.
• Occitan music and dance, a living expression of local culture.
• The traditional auction and costume procession, rituals passed down for centuries.

For those visiting the Municipality of Pontechianale during the festival, it is the ideal opportunity to discover a mountain village in its most genuine and vibrant form.