Everywhere, homes are being decorated, nooks and corners embellished; from cellars and attics forgotten tools come back to life, dust is shaken off old garments and rediscovered heirlooms. It’s almost a race between villages – for the most original entertainment, the most welcoming hospitality. The natural spontaneity and cheerfulness of the valley expresses itself in the music, the dances, the tables laid with traditional meals prepared following age-old traditions, while artisans give demonstrations of near-vanished crafts.
All this is Mistîrs, a journey through the culture of Paularo, its old crafts and ancient traditions – an unmissable chance to experience for a day life as it used to be, in all its naturalness and authenticity.
During this last weekend of August woodmen and carvers, shepherds and cheese-makers, smiths and knife-grinders, masons and carpenters bring the streets and the town squares to life, mesmerising adults and children alike with their creativity and ingenuity.
The celebrations begin on Saturday evening, as representatives of the villages parade along the main street, with music and dances. Early on Sunday morning a performance of the wind ensemble will be followed by a day of demonstrations, shows and exhibitions. Specialties will be served for lunch while a rich market will offer a variety of handicrafts and unique foods for sale. Along the banks of the Chiarsò river a crowd will gather in the afternoon to watch the menàde, the transportation of logs by floating, reenacted by the Menàus group. In the evening, the great dance on the breâr is the final act of this joyful, intense day… till the next year!
