The Autani dei Set Frei (the Litanies of the Seven Brothers) in Montescheno, in Antrona Valley, is one of the most deeply rooted historical and religious celebrations in the Alps: the procession, one of the longest in the Alpine region, dates back to 1600; it is still popular nowadays and involves lots of participants with its delicate balance of pagan and devotional aspects.
The procession takes place every year on the third Sunday of July: at 4:30am, participants set off from the Montescheno Church and set out on the 24-kilometre route, which includes a difference in height of around 1,400 metres. According to tradition, in 1640 the seven Martini brothers completed the entire route in seven days on their knees, as a vow to protect the community from the Great Plague. The term Autani is a shortened form in local dialect of the term ‘litanie‘ in Italian, meaning litanies, the very same that are recited today during the procession.
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