The traditional “Ufficio dei morti” in Vilminore di Scalve
One of the oldest celebrations in the Val di Scalve is undoubtedly the annual Office of the Dead, dating back to 1621.
For centuries, tradition has dictated that on the Wednesday of mid-Lent, the faithful of the Valley gather in the church of Vilminore to remember their deceased. But how did this tradition originate?
It should be noted that, until the 13th century, the Val di Scalve was not only made up of the municipalities of Azzone, Colere, Schilpario, and Vilminore di Scalve as it is now, but also included Lizzola, Valbondione, and Fiumenero, which are located beyond the Passo della Manina and constituted the Contrada dei Dieci Denari.
According to traditional accounts, when snow allowed it (approximately mid-Lent), families beyond the Manina would bring their deceased relatives, who had passed away during the winter, to the Church of Vilminore, which served as the Pieve, that is, the only church where baptisms and funerals could be held. Since the Pieve was unreachable in winter, the deceased were kept in attics for the necessary time, and only in mid-Lent, when the snow gave way to spring, were the dead brought to the Church of Vilminore for the solemn celebration.
In 1621, when such processions probably no longer took place, Archpriest Grassi, after a vision of the dead seeking prayers, suggested to the Scalve Community to establish the Day of the Office in suffrage of the souls of the deceased: the celebration was fixed on the Wednesday preceding Passion Sunday. For a long time, the expenses were shared by all municipalities on both sides of the Passo della Manina.
Today, more than 400 years after the start of the celebration, which has always attracted interest even outside the Valley, the Office of the Dead is commemorated with a series of solemn religious ceremonies, while the Municipality of Vilminore di Scalve organizes a market fair on the Wednesday of the celebration.
In the past, the main goods sold at the fair were seeds and agricultural tools, with the hope that the spirits of the afterlife, placated and well-disposed by religious practices, would intercede for a favorable season.
Today, however, the fair hosts numerous stalls of all kinds, from clothing to food products and handicrafts.
Credits: Alice Bassanesi, Monica Rossi