Do you know how we celebrate Republic Day on 2 June?
By valuing what the people of these lands held most dear, useful and green:
Cattle!
The Fair is organised by the municipality of Alagna-Riva in collaboration with the Unione Montana dei Comuni della Valsesia
For the occasion, the herds are left on display in Riva Valdobbia, in the area of the sports fields.
Days before, spaces, drinking troughs and all the hay supplies are prepared.
The Pietre Gemelle fair has, for some years now, been a regular meeting point for farmers in the area.
The night before, everyone is buzzing; it's a bustle of tractors and people that always culminates in an evening of feasting and conviviality.
The day has come!
The cattle are festively decorated with the best cowbells and wreaths of flowers.
The herds arrive at a cadenced, almost monotonous pace, parading down the street like seasoned models (and they are).
The life of the cows is punctuated by the transhumance, herds of cows that sniff the warm June air to the Alpe and at the first gust of frosty air in September demonetise down into the valley.
Herds Fairs are generally held at the end of summer, for St Michael's Day, on the return from the alp and are an opportunity to do good business by offering dairy products from the high pastures.
We, who are original, like all the valley bottoms, propose it at the beginning of summer. We like to inaugurate the beginning of the season this way, as if it were a propitiatory rite.
The event also involves farms, craftsmen of wood and typical products, hobbyists and refreshment stalls.
You will be able to eat excellent polenta, our special miacce while strolling among stalls selling honey, cold meats and cheeses.
You will be able to buy Alpenstock (wooden sticks for walking in the mountains), leather boots, mountain clothing or see the lathe being used by skilled craftsmen.
You will see the best breeds of cattle, goats and sheep, and of course their products.
The most common breed of cow because it is indigenous is the Alpine Brown Breed (disappeared but recently reintroduced).
It is a robust cow, adaptable to steep terrain such as ours and versatile. It can be bred as a dairy cow (with a fair result) but is highly prized for the quality of its meat.
But you will see some beauties!
The Piemontese, Valdostana, Grigia alpina and Pezzata d'Oropa, all embellished and adorned, look like Clarabella.
Come and discover which one will be the Queen of the Herds!
Today, the reserved and shy mountain people open their doors to everyone and for one day we are all Heidi and Peter!
