Cantè j'Euv a Calamandrana
One evening before Easter, singers and folk musicians go door to door through a corner of Calamandrana with the old 'singing for eggs' song, and the households answer with eggs, a taste of something and a glass of wine.
Why it's special
Cantè j'euv is an old Piedmontese Easter custom: young men once went from door to door singing for the eggs of the Easter Monday lunch. Calamandrana rebuilt its version from the memories of the village elders and walks it for real, house by house, with hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes and accordion, ending in a courtyard with music and dancing.
Programme · 2026
3rd edition, in frazione Bruciati, organised by Le colline della cultura with the Biblioteca and the Comune di Calamandrana.
- The route changes every year (Calamandrana Alta in 2024, the centre in 2025, frazione Bruciati in 2026), so check the poster for the meeting point.
- In 2026 visitors parked on Viale del Cimitero between 19:30 and 20:00 and a shuttle ran up to Bruciati, because the hamlet's lanes have no room for cars.
- Wear sturdy shoes and bring something warm: it's an evening walk in March or April.
Cantè j'euv means "singing for eggs". Before Easter, young men used to go from house to house singing a begging song at each door and collecting eggs, and sometimes bread, salumi or a few coins, for the Easter Monday lunch. Not every door opened, and a refusal could turn into a little scene in the street.
In Calamandrana the association Le colline della cultura, with the town library and the Comune, brought the custom back in 2024, piecing the local words together from what the older residents remembered. Each year it picks a different part of the comune: the old borgo of Calamandrana Alta in 2024, the streets around Piazza Dante in 2025 and the hamlet of Bruciati in 2026. The singers, the "questuanti", go house to house with the folk group Balacanta on accordion, hurdy-gurdy, flutes and bagpipes, and most families along the way come out with a taste of something and a glass of wine. The evening ends in a courtyard with music and traditional dances.
Visitors are welcome to follow the singers. The date is set each spring, so far always a Friday nine days before Easter; the latest dates and meeting points are in the table above.
Past editions
| Year | Dates | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday 27 March 2026, 20:00 | 3rd edition, in frazione Bruciati, organised by Le colline della cultura with the Biblioteca and the Comune di Calamandrana. 19:30–20:00 – parking and meeting point on Viale del Cimitero, with a shuttle up to Bruciati 20:15 – the questuanti and the folk group Balacanta start their round of the houses, singing for eggs, money, bread and salumi Along the way – families offer tastings and a glass of wine at each stop; the parish church of the Natività di Maria is open To finish – music and dancing in the courtyard of Casa Mighetto, with the DLF Asti dance group (Occitan dances) and the Coro di Luci di Calamandrana |
| 2025 | Friday 11 April 2025, 20:30 | 2nd edition, from Piazza Dante in front of the town hall, by Le colline della cultura and the Biblioteca with the Comune and the Pro Loco. 20:30 – the singers set off along Viale Moraglio with the folk group Balacanta (accordion, hurdy-gurdy, flutes and bagpipes) To finish – music and traditional Astigiano dances in the courtyard of the Milano butcher's |
| 2024 | Friday 22 March 2024, 20:00 | 1st edition of the revival, in the old borgo of Calamandrana Alta. 20:00 – meeting at the church of San Sebastiano, then the round of the borgo's houses with Balacanta and the questuanti To finish – music at the Osteria dei Talenti |