A long, long time ago reports the legend, unless this is the story, the real one, that the married women of Utelle made love with the single men of the village, the husbands having gone to war.
But what war?
Others say they were victims of the local squire.
Anyway, today it is the bachelors who pay the price during the local festivities.
Utelle, during the patron saint's day of Saint-Roch, on August 16th, Place de la République, in the heart of the village, organizes its traditional "Saut du Cepoun".
The Cepoun, a large wooden block, represents "the woman" and the single men have to jump over it and carry it to the church on the other side of the square while the married men, in a hedge, clap their naked backs with all their might. In just a few passes some backs start bleeding.
Some people see this as a good representation of human society, the strong beat the weak and the woman is responsible for everything.
During these traditional festivals, Utelle also organises the pilgrimage to the Madonna of Utelle.
Mairie d’Utelle
Hameau Saint Jean la Rivière
06450 Utelle
Tél. : 04 93 03 17 01
