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The Carnival of the Bear

Fenestrelle, Sunday 15 February 2026
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tag Chantar l'Uvern 2026 Animazione Lingue madri Minoranze linguistiche Occitano Franco-provenzale Francese Chambra d'Oc
The Carnival of the Bear

The Carnival of the Bear

February 15 at 2 PM in Mentoulles (Fenestrelle) The Carnival of the Bear.
From the Courtyard of the Priory of San Giusto through the streets of the village.

The ancient carnival of Mentoulles, passed down through popular oral traditions, comes back to life after many years of hiatus. In the days of February, the bear from Mount Orsiera will descend into the valley bringing chaos to the hamlets: the Spadonari of the Bal da Sabre, with their propitiatory rite, will kick off the hunt amidst music, dancing, and conviviality.
Once the bear is tamed, the celebration will continue with “The Dance of the Bear,” a concert featuring traditional Occitan instruments. An afternoon of spontaneous music and dancing through the streets of the village that will culminate at 9 PM with the grand final dance at the parish hall of the Priory of San Giusto Mentoulles.
Dinner available by reservation at the restaurants "La Meizoun Blancho" tel. 371 754 5475 and "La Trattoria del Sole" in Mentoulles tel. 380 540 7057.
Organized by: Uch, Dino Tron, Lou Magnaut, La benno pleno, Bal da Sabre, and the municipality of Fenestrelle

The brochure of the event, with many proposals and the schedule of appointments, is disseminated through the municipalities and distributed during the events. All information and updates will also be available online at the dedicated page: Chantar l'Uvèrn. To stay updated on the event, you can also subscribe to the official WhatsApp channel of Chantar l’Uvern to receive news and changes to the program.

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