Wolf's Mass (Saint Valentine in Forno)

A mountain ritual over two centuries old

In Forno, a small village in the municipality of Valstrona, located in the upper Verbano-Cusio-Ossola valley, one of the oldest and most unique traditions in Piedmont is celebrated annually: the Wolf's Mass. It is both a religious and folk rite dedicated to Saint Valentine, who here is not only the patron saint of lovers but also the martyr invoked to protect people and livestock from wolf attacks.

The celebration takes place around February 14th, Saint Valentine's Day, in the parish church of Saints Peter and Paul in Forno, where the Saint's relic is kept. During the evening mass, known as the "Wolf's Mass," the relic is displayed to the faithful, and the evocative blessing of the cowbells takes place—the bells that farmers once tied to the necks of grazing livestock.

The origins: 1762 and the fear of wolves

The tradition began in 1762, the year when the fear of wolves reached its peak in the Strona Valley. In the 18th century, wolves were widespread between Lake Orta and the Ossola region, and driven by hunger, they would attack herds and approach inhabited areas. The raids were so frequent that in 1762, the feudal lord of the valley granted the men of Forno permission to carry weapons. Since then, the community has entrusted itself to Saint Valentine, the parish patron, to ward off the danger. Parish records note years of processions coinciding with severe attacks on livestock (1708, 1762, 1851), during which protective masses were celebrated in every hamlet.

A tradition that has become current again

Although the last wolf in the area was killed at Alpe Mazzucchero in January 1927—the stuffed specimen is now kept at the Galletti Museum in Domodossola—the return of the predator to the Strona Valley in recent years has brought the Wolf's Mass back into the spotlight. The celebration, sometimes accompanied by a conference on wolves and mountain pastoralism, has filled the church of Forno with worshippers arriving from the Ossola valleys, sparking both great participation and some controversy from animal rights activists.

Between faith, identity, and local memory

Recognized as part of the region's intangible heritage, the Wolf's Mass of Forno is much more than a simple religious service: it is a piece of the identity of the Valstrona community and the Strona Valley, a living link to alpine culture, pastoralism, and the folk spirituality of the Piedmontese mountains. For those visiting Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in February, it is an opportunity to discover an authentic rite, far from mass tourism circuits.