Saints' Fair — Sambucana Sheep Exhibition

A fair that tells the story of the Stura Valley

The Saints' Fair, known in the local Occitan language as Fièro di Sant, is one of the oldest traditional events in the municipality of Vinadio, in the Stura Valley, in the Province of Cuneo (Piedmont). It has always taken place on the last weekend of October, around the feast of All Saints and All Souls, and its roots go back to the centuries when it served as the decisive moment for trading snails, potatoes, cattle, and especially sheep. For generations, shepherds and breeders from the hamlets would descend to the valley to buy and sell animals, making it one of the key dates in the mountain farming calendar.

From crisis to rebirth with the Sambucana sheep

Until the mid-eighties, this ancient fair risked fading away: new direct-to-farm sales systems caused livestock participation to plummet, and the event gradually lost its agricultural soul. The turning point came in 1986 with the birth of the Sambucana Sheep Exhibition, which started with just fifty animals and is now the true heart of the event. The Sambucana is the native sheep breed of the Stura Valley, saved from extinction thanks to the work of the Consorzio l'Escaroun and the Ecomuseo della Pastorizia: a story of biodiversity conservation that has brought the fair back to the center of valley life.

What to see at the Forte Albertino

The two-day event takes place between the historic center of Vinadio and the impressive ramparts of the Forte Albertino, the imposing nineteenth-century fortress that dominates the town. On display are about two hundred animals—sheep, lambs, and rams—brought by about thirty breeders from the valley. Surrounding the livestock exhibition are:

• a large market of local products and mountain handicrafts;
• workshops for adults and children, including wool processing and felting;
• demonstrations of crouset, the valley's typical handmade pasta;
• pastoral gastronomy highlights, featuring dishes based on Sambucana lamb;
• music and entertainment throughout the weekend.

The sounaios, symbol of the festival

The most anticipated moment is the awards ceremony on Sunday morning, when the breeders of the best animals are presented with sounaios, the characteristic cowbells with wooden collars that are the symbol of valley shepherding. It is a gesture that bridges past and present, recognizing the work of those who continue to bring their flocks to the high pastures of the Stura Valley.

An appeal that crosses borders

Thanks to the charm of the Fort and the strength of tradition, the Fièro di Sant attracts nearly ten thousand visitors every year, coming from both Italy and nearby France, just a few kilometers from the Colle della Maddalena. For those who want to discover the authentic pastoral culture of the Cuneo area and the bond between a mountain community and its sheep, it is one of the best occasions of the Piedmontese autumn.