Saint Sebastian Patronal Feast (Ballo della Puento)

The Patronal Feast of Chiomonte

In the heart of the upper Susa Valley, the municipality of Chiomonte (Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont) celebrates its patron saint, Saint Sebastian, every year with a festival that blends the sacred and the profane, devotion and community identity. The highlight is the celebrated Ballo della Puento, one of the oldest and most distinctive traditions of the Piedmontese Alps, which draws locals, emigrants, and hikers to the village.

Origins and Meaning

The roots of the festival are ancient, stemming from propitiatory rites linked to the land. The cult of Saint Sebastian is specifically tied to the terrible plague of 1629-1630, when the Roman martyr was invoked as a protector against the contagion. The celebration, documented continuously since 1889 thanks to the work of parish priest Father Bartolomeo Franchino who revived the tradition, is now an intangible heritage jealously guarded by the Chiomonte community.

The Puento, Tree of Life

The symbolic heart of the festival is the Puento: originally a conifer tree decorated with ribbons, it is now a spindle-shaped structure with a metal frame nearly four meters high, mounted on a four-armed support. Entirely adorned with ribbons of all sizes and colors, it is enriched each year with new contributions from the Priori and mementos of newborns. It represents the tree to which the saint was tied and, simultaneously, the tree of life that unites the generations of the village.

Priori, Priore, and Angioletti

The protagonists of the parade are the Priori and Priore, who dance and carry the Puento wearing authentic traditional Susa Valley costumes: the women wear dark wool dresses with fitted bodices, long pleated skirts, aprons, and shawls, embellished with headgear such as the courneutto or the precious embroidered tulle coueifo. The Angioletti, children dressed in light colors with silver stars, flower crowns, and wings, represent the angels who crowned Saint Sebastian.

Masses, Dances, and Conviviality

The festival alternates between religious and popular moments: solemn masses, parades through the historic center with stops where the Priori offer wine, drinks, and sweets, and finally the grand evening dance. It is, by tradition, the first major Alpine festival of the year in the Susa Valley, an opportunity to rediscover the identity of a mountain village in Piedmont.