Coumboscuro: the village in Italy where no Italian is spoken

Nicknamed the Little Provence of Italy, Sancto Lucio de Coumboscuro is an isolated village in almost every way. Situated close to the border between Italy’s Piedmont region and France, to get there visitors need to fly to Turin, take a train and then a bus, or drive south to Provence.

Those who travel here would be forgiven for wondering if they are in the right country, especially when locals say goodbye saying the unfamiliar “arveire” instead of “arrivederci”.

The official language of Coumboscuro is Provencal, an old medieval Neo-Latin dialect of Occitan, the language spoken throughout the Occitanie region of France.

Only about 30 people live in the village, and life is far from easy for the locals. Coumboscuro is made up largely of herding families, who often need to protect their flocks from the onslaught of the wolves that roam here.

Electricity is often cut off for weeks during the winter, while the internet connection here is minimal. But the village’s tranquil mountain meadows and vibrant purple lavender fields are ideal for visitors looking for a disconnected getaway, as are the sweeping views of its alpine peaks, which stretch all the way to the Côte d’Azur.

Forget bars, supermarkets and restaurants, any social unrest is limited to the occasional folkloric events that take place in the village, or when day trippers embark on lonely weekend mushroom hunts.

slower lifestyle

Locals adopt a simple, slower-paced lifestyle in harmony with nature.

“We don’t have TV. You really don’t miss what you never had. When there is a power outage for 15 days in a row, there is no reason to panic: we dig up our old oil lamps from our grandparents,” local pastor Agnes Garrone, 25, told CNN .

“I’m used to waking up at dawn to tend the sheep. I work 365 days a year, zero holidays. I don’t know Christmas or New Year’s Eve, because even during the holidays, my flocks need to eat and be taken care of. It’s a life of sacrifice, but it’s so satisfying when you see a lamb born.”

Garrone runs La Meiro di Choco, an old farmhouse that is the only B&B in Coumboscuro. Those who book the space sleep in traditional wooden huts, sample fresh produce from the orchard, and have the option to purchase premium wool from an indigenous Italian sheep called Sambucana, also known as Demontina.

While many of the village’s younger residents fled in search of a better future elsewhere many years ago, Garrone and his brothers decided to stay and work on their ancestral lands. their mother cultivates cannabis and other herbs for medicinal purposes and makes syrups from elderberry leaves and dandelions.

cultural renaissance

“Visitors are welcome to stay with us, we need people to discover our world, we don’t want to be forgotten and we have a lot of cultural heritage to share,” says Garrone.

The 25-year-old considers Provencal, which is often characterized as a mixture of French and Italian, as her mother tongue, rather than Italian.

She explains that being part of a sociocultural and linguistic community that goes back centuries gives her a strong sense of identity and territorial belonging.

The area of ​​the Piedmont region where Coumboscuro is located has passed between Italian and French rule several times in history, which goes some way to explaining why locals like the young Garrone feel neither Italian nor French – simply Provençal.

Surrounded by forests of hazel and ash trees, the village is divided into 21 tiny villages dotted around the pristine Valle Grana, each made up of just a handful of stone and wooden houses. The districts are connected by trekking, mountain biking and horseback riding trails dotted with earth art installations.

Its main district, which consists of just eight quaint wooden cottages with frescoed walls grouped around an old chapel, was founded in 1018 by French monks who reclaimed the land for rural use.

Although Coumboscuro has flourished for many years, things started to change in the 1400s when harsh winters saw many families move to Provence for most of the year and only return during the summer.

The village’s population has been declining for many years, but Coumboscuro underwent something of a renaissance in the 1950s, when Garrone’s grandfather, Sergio Arneodo, took over as the village’s school teacher.

After studying the local ancestral language, he helped to recover the linguistic roots and folkloric appeal of the Provençal language, giving the community a much-needed boost.

spiritual pilgrimage

Today, be it a play with actors in traditional costumes, art shows, concerts, festivals, folk dances, dialect contests, writing labs or even craft shops, there are many activities and events that celebrate Provencal traditions.

Those interested in learning more can visit the Coumboscuro Ethnographic Museum, while the Provencal Studies Center offers courses in Provencal language and writing for beginners and children.

Every July, thousands of Provençal-speakers dressed in traditional attire embark on the Roumiage, a spiritual pilgrimage that departs from Provence, in southern France, across the Alps to Coumboscuro.

The journey takes them through snowy peaks, steep gorges and chestnut forests, the same route previously traveled by their ancestors as well as medieval traders, bandits and smugglers across the Alps over the years.

As soon as they arrive in Coumboscuro, pilgrims are welcomed by a large party, with tents and barns set up as temporary accommodation.

Although population decline continued to plague the village, its residents, now more aware of their roots, developed a primitive connection to their hometown. Today, many see Coumboscuro as the birthplace of the Provencal microcosm.

endangered language

“After the cultural renaissance, woodworking shops now sell traditional Provencal crafts and farms have flourished again, growing potatoes, apple cider, chestnuts and making herbal drinks,” says Davide Arnoedo, who directs the Coumboscuro Ethnographic Museum and the center of Provencal studies.

“Scholars, intellectuals and artists gather here for art exhibitions and conferences to discuss our rich heritage.”

Following local community awareness campaigns, Italy officially recognized the existence of the Occitan minority in 1999, and Provencal is now protected under national law.

Provencal, however, remains an endangered language in the future, and has been inscribed in the Atlas of Endangered World Languagesfrom UNESCO, in 2010.

“This is one of the few valleys in the world where our language survives,” adds Arneodo, who is also Garrone’s uncle and Sergio Arneodo’s son.

“In the past, it was a lyrical and literary language spoken by court minstrels that later fell into oblivion, but here, thanks to my father’s efforts, young people have regained the heritage of their ancestors and many have decided to stay.”

rich heritage

Witches and shamans play a huge role in the Provencal world, as does good alpine food, and there’s definitely a magical vibe to Coumboscuro.

In fact, legend has it that several local residents were gifted with the power to heal broken bones and sprained ankles.

Some even believe that the woods are inhabited by fairies and fauns called Sarvan, who not only taught the locals how to make butter as well as Toma and Castelmagno cheese, but apparently also played pranks on farmers by stealing fresh milk and sacks full of nuts.

Every year, Coumboscuro holds the Boucoun de Saber, or “pieces of knowledge”, a popular food fair that showcases the main alpine delicacies of Provencal origin.

As for the local cuisine, some traditional recipes include La Mato, or “the crazy one”, consisting of rice, spices and leeks, as well as bodi en balo smoked potatoes, which are heated in the fireplace in an ancient ritual.

Aioli, a garlic-based Mediterranean sauce, is popular as an accompaniment to classic dishes. Dandeirols – a homemade maccheroni served with whipped cream and walnuts – are another highlight.