Editorial photo #9604334 Arts, Culture and Entertainment

Baìo Di Sampeyre

Baio di Sampeyre is a traditional occitan festival that takes place every five years in Sampeyre, in the Valle Varaita in the province of Cuneo, Italy, on February 16, 2023. The Baio was one of the most important and ancient traditional festivals in the Italian Alps. The origins of the festival are very ancient and date back to before the year 1000 (it seems to be 975 or 980) when the teams of Saracens who had entered the valley to plunder it was driven out by the local population. Only the men of each village participate in the procession, performing in the complicated costumes woven by the women of the village and also playing the female roles. The costumes are made following very strict rules because they must precisely identify the character to which they belong: knights, hussars, Moors, drummers... (Photo by Mauro Ujetto/NurPhoto)