Anciue – Fiera degli acciugai

Anciue – Fiera degli Acciugai is an event held every year in Dronero, in the evocative Maira Valley. This fair celebrates the rich tradition of the anchovy sellers, emblematic historical figures who for centuries have travelled the Piedmont valleys and beyond, selling salted anchovies and other typical products. Their story has its roots in the second half of the nineteenth century, a period in which poverty and the difficult living conditions in the Alpine valleys pushed many farmers to seek new opportunities for income. During the long winter months, when work in the fields decreased, these enterprising men would travel on foot or with rudimentary means of transport towards the Ligurian ports of Genoa and Savona, and sometimes also towards Nice, to buy fresh anchovies coming from different regions of the Mediterranean. The anchovies were then carefully preserved under salt in wooden barrels and transported on the shoulder or on characteristic two-wheeled ash carts, locally called “caruss” or “cariòt”. The anchovy sellers faced long and exhausting journeys, often covering more than 30 kilometres a day along rough paths, to sell the precious salted fish in