Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd September, the San Bertoumiéu festival returns to Old Nice. Every year, during the first weekend of September, the festival celebrating the products of the Niçois country gathers dozens of artisans from Nice and its County. Organized by the city of Nice with the help of the Remembrança Nissarda and Sian d’aquì, this event is successful, attracting over 80,000 visitors each year.
A festival rich in tradition and animations.
Whether they are slate sculptors, potters, cheesemakers, brewers, beekeepers, or winemakers, many will present, on the upcoming 2nd and 3rd of September, the fruits of their labor. Agricultural tools and animals will be part of the festivities, accompanied by demonstrations of wheat threshing and wood cutting to the rhythm of traditional music from the County.
The history of the San Bertoumiéu
Since 1999, the city of Nice has decided to revive this celebration, a direct descendant of the traditional great fair of Nice, which allows both the discovery or rediscovery of the products of the County and highlights the Niçois identity. In the past, this annual event was a place for exchanging handmade mountain products, livestock fair, and a marketplace where everything needed for oneself or one’s home could be bought. A place of commerce and meeting, the market also allowed news to circulate during times when communication means and media were limited or non-existent, especially for the isolated inhabitants of the midland and hinterland.
The San Bertoumiéu festival is also an opportunity to discover local authors thanks to the Book City of the County of Nice, to try traditional Niçois games such as Pilou, Vitou, Mourra, or participate in the Niçoise salad contest – salada de toumati. For those who wish to learn more about Niçois traditions, “La Treille,” the Municipal Office of Tradition located in the heart of the old town at 7 rue Saint Augustin, will be open and animated throughout the weekend.
All of Old Nice in celebration
The San Bertoumiéu festival takes over the entirety of Old Nice. The animations will take place in the following locations: Palais de Justice squares, Rossetti square, Saint François square, Auguste Icart square (formerly de la Tour), Herb Hall, and rue de la Préfecture.
The city of Nice invites everyone to come and share the pleasures of Nice and the County traditions through crafts, cuisine, games, and music.
Piedmont, Liguria, and the Niçois hinterland in celebration
Integral to the Niçois identity, Italy will be represented at the San Bertoumiéu festival through producers from Piedmont and Liguria. Additionally, a few communes from the Niçois hinterland will participate in the festivities. These include:
– La Brigue and its Tourist Office
– Levens: the canton of the 10 smiles
– Saint Martin Vésubie: horse-drawn carriages, lumberjacks and wood cutting, wheat threshing, Merens horses, sheep, goats, cheese making…
– Tende: Mario Riberi, his harnesses, Poitou mule with packs and baskets, Aubrac oxen, and hay cart
– Lucéram: the lavender still
Folkloric animations and traditional music
Throughout the San Bertoumiéu Festival, the public will be able to appreciate the following groups:
– Lou Mourtaïret
– Lou Caïreù Niçart
– Li Barragnas
– Nice la Belle
– Choir of the Remembrança Nissarda
– Les Cougourdons Sospellois
– La Parpaiola de Drap
– Lanciour
The Niçoise salad contest: everyone get your aprons ready!
As part of the San Bertoumiéu Festival, a contest for Niçoise salad – salada de toumati – will take place on Saturday, September 2nd, between 10:45 AM and 11:15 AM at Rossetti square. This contest, organized by the Cercle de la Capelina d’Or under the auspices of the city of Nice, is open only to amateurs. Each contestant must bring ingredients, a presentation dish, and prepare a Niçoise salad for six people. The awards ceremony, chaired by Mr. Senator-Mayor of Nice, will take place around noon.
To participate in the contest, contact the Capelina d’Or at 04 93 84 68 86 or the city hall at 04 97 13 22 87 or 04 97 13 21 21. The registration form must be returned before August 30th.
Traditional games: Mourra, Pilou, and Vitou up for play
Want to learn about traditional Niçois games? Associations from Fontan, Ilonse, and Isola, and the association of André Giordan “Nissa Pilo” will be present with their enthusiasts of Mourra, Pilou, and Vitou. Competitions are organized. The Nissa Pilo association proposes initiations to Pilou and a children’s tournament (under 12 years) from 3 PM to 6 PM at Saint François square on Saturday, September 2nd, and a major tournament on Sunday, September 3rd. Registration is on-site and free.
Pilou, which experienced its heyday in the Niçois region at the end of the last war, is a real precision sport, embraced with enthusiasm by many young people over the past decade. The Coaraze Championship gathers more than 64 teams every year.
Pilou Game Rules:
A coin with a hole and a piece of paper make up a shuttlecock. Pilou is played by teams of two on a field marked with chalk in a cross. The goal of the activity is to “make the shuttlecock fly” using only the feet, knees, and chest like in football, to make it fall in the opponent’s field, inside circles one meter in size.
Mourra Game Rules:
The two players stand face to face, fists forwarded. Each player, simultaneously with their opponent, must spontaneously open their right (or left) hand and raise as many fingers as they desire, while stating a number from 0 to 10. The point is won when the total of fingers shown by both players equals the number announced. If neither player finds the exact result, or if they both get the announced number, the game continues. A match consists of two winning rounds of 15 points.
The success of mourra comes from its extreme simplicity, which is also the secret to its longevity. Nevertheless, this game requires intense concentration. Its uniqueness lies in its frenetic pace. Thus, the game does not only rely on chance, but also on the player’s qualities, requiring quick reflexes, attention, intuition, and observation.
Contact: 04 97 13 21 21 / 04 97 13 22 87
