The "Spadonari" Dance

• Photographer
  Raffaele Luongo
• Photo Date
  29/01/2023

Giaglione is a village in the Val di Susa in Piedmont, in northern Italy. The most famous cultural event of Giaglione is the Spadonari Dance: a group of four men dance holding swords on the feast of Saint Vincent Martyr. The Spadonari dance on the churchyard and have four types of dances: "punta", "quadri", "cuori", "salto". The choreography of the dance can be divided into two parts: the March and, indee, the Dance. It is a recurrence of uncertain origin that can be traced back to the pagan rites of propitiation to promote the fertility of the land and the abundance of the harvest.