Fête des Vignerons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fête des Vignerons |
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Fête des Vignerons poster, 1905
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| Frequency | Once in a generation |
| Location(s) | Vevey, Switzerland |
| Inaugurated | 1797 |
| Most recent | July–August 2019 |
| Organised by | Confrérie des Vignerons |
| Winegrowers' Festival in Vevey | |
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UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
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| Country | Switzerland |
| Domains | Social practices, rituals and festive events |
| Reference | 01201 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2016 (11th session) |
| List | Representative |
The Fête des Vignerons (which means Winegrowers' Festival) is a very old and special festival. It happens in Vevey, a town in Switzerland.
The festival is organized by the Confrérie des Vignerons (Brotherhood of Winegrowers) in Vevey. They have been doing this since 1797! The group decides how often the festival takes place. But the main idea is that it happens only once in a generation. This means it's a rare and special event. So far, the time between festivals has been from 14 to 28 years. The last festival was in July and August 2019. That was 20 years after the one before it in 1999.
The festival has a big show that celebrates the world of winemaking. The main performances happen in the Vevey marketplace. This area is right on the beautiful shores of Lake Geneva. Other fun events are also held all around the town. Since 2016, the Fête des Vignerons has been recognized by UNESCO. It is now part of the world's intangible cultural heritage.
The 2019 festival was very popular around the world. National Geographic called it one of the "world's most exciting destinations." The New York Times listed it as a "place to go in 2019." It was also on The Guardian's "Where to go in 2019" list.
Contents
History of the Festival
How the Festival Started
The Fête des Vignerons began with parades by the Vevey Confrérie des Vignerons. These parades might have started way back in the Middle Ages. At that time, the Confrérie des Vignerons was called the Abbaye de l'Agriculture.
In 1647, the Abbaye de l'Agriculture was a small group. It grew bigger during the 1700s. By 1776, almost a quarter of the men in Vevey were members. This group was not for vineyard workers. It was for landowners who hired workers to care for their vineyards. A small team of experts from the Confrérie would visit the vineyards. They would check and rate the quality of the winegrowers' work. This important judging still happens today. The leaders of the Confrérie were often city council members, lawyers, or judges.
Around 1770, the Confrérie des Vignerons changed its goal. They decided to focus on helping winegrowing get better. They also wanted to reward good work, not just point out mistakes. The best vineyard workers would parade through Vevey with members of the Confrérie. Records show a parade in 1651, but they probably started even earlier.
The parade usually followed a meeting where workers' results were discussed. After the parade, there was a big meal. The parades became like a show with music and singing. In 1730, a small boy dressed as Bacchus (the god of wine) rode on a wine barrel. From 1741, these parades happened every three years. In 1747, a second character, Ceres (the goddess of wheat and harvest), joined the parade.
Other characters soon became part of the festival. These included Noah (the first winegrower) and people carrying grapes. There were also priests and priestesses from Greek myths. Basket-bearers and groups of fauns and bacchantes joined too. In 1783, Silenus, riding a donkey, was in the parade.
In 1791, a special crowning ceremony was added. It honored the best vineyard workers at the end of the parade. Six years later, on August 9, 1797, this ceremony became a big staged show. The costumed people from the parade entered the Vevey marketplace. A stage and two thousand seats were set up there. Dances and songs were performed in the marketplace. Then, the participants went into the town, repeating their songs and dances. This show and parade were divided into four seasons. Spring had the god Pales, Summer had Ceres, Autumn had Silenus, and Winter had Noah and a village wedding. This was the start of the amazing celebrations we see today.
The 1800s Festivals
After 1797, there was a lot of trouble in the region. The Napoleonic Wars also made it hard to hold another festival. It took 22 years until the next one in 1819. The 1819 festival happened on August 5 and 6. The same leader, Louis Levade, who led the first show in 1797, was in charge. About 730 actors and performers took part in an arena with 2,000 seats. The canton of Vaud had just joined Switzerland. So, this festival celebrated old traditions and Swiss pride. The famous song "Ranz des vaches" was sung for the first time at the Fête des Vignerons. The organizers realized the show was getting big. So, they hired a director, David Constantin, and a music director, David Glady.
The third Fête des Vignerons was on August 8 and 9, 1833. About 780 actors and performers were in an arena with 4,000 seats. Samuel Glady, David Glady's son, wrote new music for the show.
In 1851, the fourth festival took place on August 7 and 8. François Grast wrote all the music for this festival. This made the music and staging feel more connected. About 900 actors and performers were in an 8,000-seat arena. This was the first time the Ancients Swiss troop marched in the parade. This group was originally meant to watch over the procession.
François Grast also wrote the music for the next festival in 1865. About 1,200 actors and performers were in a 10,500-seat arena. As the festival grew, it became more expensive. It needed public donations to help pay for it.
The sixth Fête des Vignerons was from August 5 to 9, 1889. This show had 1,379 actors and performers in a 12,000-seat arena. This was the first time the "Ranz des vaches" song was sung by one person, Placid Curtat. Before, it was sung by a choir. His performance was very popular. It showed how important this song was to the festival. It also connected Vevey to the nearby mountains.
The 1900s Festivals
The seventh Fête des Vignerons was from August 4 to 9, 1905. René Morax wrote the story and directed the show. Gustave Doret composed the music. The 1905 festival was special because the parade became less important. It was also the first time women and girls could take part. About 1,800 actors and performers were in an arena with 12,500 seats.
From August 1 to 9, 1927, the eighth festival was held. Gustave Doret composed the music again. The costumes and sets were designed by Ernest Bieler. About 2,000 performers took part. They were in a 14,000-seat arena. This arena looked like a medieval city with walls and towers.
In 1955, the Fête des Vignerons took place from August 1 to 15. This festival became more professional. It was the first to attract international visitors. Its capacity was more than double the previous one. About 3,850 performers were in a 16,000-seat arena. The 1955 festival was also the first to have night performances.
From July 30 to August 14, 1977, the tenth Fête des Vignerons was held. It was directed by Charles Apothéloz. Jean Balissat composed the music. About 4,250 performers were in a 15,776-seat arena. This arena was built around a large sundial. It had four main points showing the four seasons.
The 1999 Fête des Vignerons was from July 29 to August 15. François Rochaix directed it. Music was by Jean-François Bovard, Michel Hostettler, and Jost Meier. The show featured "Arlevin," a winemaker who represented the crowned winemakers. About 5,050 performers were in a 16,000-seat arena. On August 11, the audience saw a rare event during the show. It was the only total solar eclipse of that decade.
- Models of amphitheatres from the second half of the 20th century
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1955
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1977
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1999
The 2000s Festivals
On December 1, 2016, the Fête des Vignerons was added to UNESCO's list. It became part of the intangible cultural heritage of Humanity. It was the first Swiss tradition to be included on this important list.
The twelfth Fête des Vignerons was from July 18 to August 11, 2019. Daniele Finzi Pasca directed it. The music was composed by Maria Bonzanigo, Jérôme Berney, and Valentin Villard. About 6,000 actors and performers took part. Nearly 1,000 of them were singers. They included local choirs, choir-percussionists, and children. They performed in a huge arena with 20,000 seats. The traditional song Ranz des Vaches was sung by eleven armaillis (traditional cow-herdsmen). This was different from recent festivals, where a single singer performed it.
The 2019 show told the story of winegrowers' activities through the seasons. It was seen through the eyes of a little girl named "petite Julie." The show began during the grape harvest. Julie's grandfather was playing cards and drinking wine outside a small winegrowers' hut. During the show, Julie's grandfather taught her about grapevines. He also showed her the beautiful landscape and the culture of wine-making. She kept meeting the Three Doctors. They were funny local experts of the Fête. Julie's imagination turned reality into a magical dream world. A beautiful dragonfly joined her on her adventures.
See also
In Spanish: Fête des Vignerons para niños
- The Headsman: The Abbaye des Vignerons, a novel from 1833 by James Fenimore Cooper
