Chapter 5 – Faith & Custom
Processions through steep lanes, an auction on the village square, and a maccheronata for all: Corippo's customs have outlasted emigration, isolation, and even the municipal merger – and continue to connect the scattered descendants with their homeland to this day.
Despite the heavy emigration and months of winter isolation, the cultural and spiritual heart of Corippo remained vibrant. At the centre of this life stands the small parish church, built in the early 17th century and dedicated to the Beata Vergine Annunciata (later Beata Vergine del Carmine).
The undisputed highlight of the village’s annual cycle remains the patronal festival in July. This celebration brings the widely scattered descendants of the historic patrician families back to their ancestral homeland. The festivities often begin on the patron saint’s feast day with a traditional mass in the difficult-to-reach Oratorio dei Noveii, situated on the heights above.
Parish church built, dedicated to the Beata Vergine Annunciata.
Annual patronal festival reunites the diaspora.
«Incanto dei doni» auction and communal maccheronata.
On the actual feast Sunday, a solemn procession follows the high mass. A central, deeply rooted custom is the «Incanto dei doni» – a public auction of donated gifts, followed by a communal maccheronata (a pasta feast) on the piazza, which is now organised in close collaboration with the local osteria.
The rugged nature of the Verzasca Valley has always fed legends. Discover the malicious «Crüsc» goblins, the Devil’s residence on Alp Cornöv and the «Sentiero delle Leggende» where visitors can relive these stories today.
Explore this topic →