Fête de la Brebis Brigasque in La Brigue

October 20 at La Brigue Fill up on tradition!

Join us for the Fête de la Brebis Brigasque, where pastoral know-how comes to life in a warm and festive atmosphere! Every autumn, La Brigue celebrates the famous ewe with a program rich in discoveries (and delicacies!): herd parades, craft demonstrations and tastings of local products. An unmissable opportunity to immerse yourself in the heart of the Roya Valley’s mountain heritage and savour its authenticity!

The 2024 program

🎉 See you on October 20, 2024

🕐 Free admission from 10am to 6pm
€ Free entertainment

Program:

The day of the Fête de la Brebis Brigasque in La Brigue is punctuated by a multitude of activities celebrating local traditions. Here’s the program for your festive immersion in the heart of mountain heritage:

Herd parades through the village streets
Sheep-shearing demonstrations
Traditional cheese-making
Markets brimming with local products to sample: ewe’s milk cheese, honey, etc.
Wool working by passionate craftsmen
Musical entertainment
Entertainment for children
Lunchstands
Exhibitions and meetings with breeders

Mark your calendars!

Practical info:

Access: By car, by bus line 25 from Menton bus station, or by train (Trenitalia) from Ventimiglia direction Cuneo and stop at La Brigue.
Parking: Free parking and shuttle bus
Cash dispensers: on site, nearest at Breil-sur-Roya

📚 A little history…

The Fête de la Brebis Brigasque was born in 2009 from the desire to safeguard this emblematic sheep breed of the Roya Valley… which was then on the verge of extinction. This annual event, held every autumn in La Brigue, quickly gained in popularity. It has even become a key event for local residents and lovers of mountain heritage!

Originally created to highlight the Brigasque ewe and support local breeders, the festival today symbolizes the revival of traditional know-how, bringing together old and new to the area to preserve the region’s cultural identity.

Did you know?

Expect to see over 300 sheep and goats in the streets of the old village of La Brigue.

An event that attracts no fewer than 5,000 people!

🐑 La brebis brigasque :

WHO IS IT?

The brigasque ewe is a hardy breed, typical of the mountains of the Roya Valley. A great walker, it is perfectly adapted to steep terrain and harsh climatic conditions! With its thick fleece and mottled coat, it stands out for its robustness and ability to produce high-quality milk, used to make local cheeses such as sora and toma. Threatened with extinction, the Brigasque ewe is today a living symbol of the region’s pastoral heritage, preserved thanks to the joint efforts of local breeders and enthusiasts.

😋 When the ewe makes the cheese

Brigasque ewe’s milk cheeses are gastronomic treasures that reflect the ancestral know-how of the Roya Valley. Among them:

🧀 La “sora”: a local specialty, made from raw sheep’s milk, pressed and matured with care to develop rich, flavorful aromas.

🧀 The “toma”: often blended with goat’s milk, offers a softer texture and a delicately fruity flavor.

🧀 “Brus”: a local ricotta, can be enjoyed fresh or after a maturing process that gives it a more pronounced taste. These cheeses, from the Brigasque breed, are the authentic expression of mountain terroir and traditions.

🧶 Take a detour to Tende to discover wool

The wool of the Brigasque ewe is a precious heritage of the Roya Valley’s mountain traditions! Once essential for making warm clothes and mattresses, this thick, naturally insulating wool has long been used to make rugs and other handicrafts. Today, despite competition from synthetic materials, Brigasque wool is enjoying a renaissance thanks to local initiatives! The idea? To promote this sustainable and authentic material. And yes, each fiber embodies the deep bond between man and mountain… reminding us of the importance of preserving these ancestral skills!

Be sure to stop by La Fée Capeline in Tende, open all year round. It’s THE place to discover wool felting!

La Fée Capeline in Tende

Fete Paysanne Et Des Bergers De La St Roch A Tende Bernard Giusto

To reach the Roya Valley

Roya access
The Roya Valley and its villages await you! Road access has been improved. Only the Col de Tende tunnel is currently closed.
The train des merveilles railway line is currently undergoing repairs. Only the train from Ventimiglia to Tende is running.
Access to the Roya Valley

Escape

Traditional festivals

Roya Valley

Tende: A hint of Italy in the heart of Les Merveilles