The Village Fête - the Offering

Gorbio is in Fête several times during the year but perhaps the most important is this one - the Fête Patronale de Saint Barthélémy. It takes place over a Saturday and Sunday in August each year. Sunday's events started with the Blessing of the Animals - followed by a chanted mass in the Eglise St. Barthélémy, celebrated by the curé, Père Baudoin.

I'll tell you more about this medieval tradition tomorrow but today we see the offering. In medieval times two chickens were strung up by their feet, hung on a stick and offered to the curé. Today, they are carefully put into a string bag and at the end of the ceremony returned to their breeder. The offering is made by the Festival Committee.