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On a certain Saturday at the end of the summer in 2005, a day enshrined in the heart of every resident of Ittre, Dolf d'Yitte and Doflin d'Yitte chose to join their destinies amidst the cheers of the inhabitants of the village and the fond gaze of their Virginal ‘elders’, Gus de Samme and Jeannette del Bruyère. Contrary to Virginal, where the couple Gus de Samme and Jeannette del Bruyère already lived in harmony, Ittre did not yet have any processional giants. In the first half of the 20th century, The Merchants’ Association of Virginal was the moving force behind the creation of Gus, a sailor of Samme, smitten with Jeannette del Bruyère, depicting a farm girl from the working-class part of town. Not until the merger of the municipalities, in 1977, did Ittre receive in turn a very likeable couple inspired by the château in the region: Dolf d'Yitte in the guise of a majordomo and Dolfine d'Yitte, a worthy matron-cook of the chatelaines of the village. Married in Saint-Remy, in the symbolic setting of the forges, the giants of Ittre, normally exhibited in the wedding room of the Town Hall, await their ritual outing for the Saint-Remy festivities, but we can imagine them escorting Gus de Samme and Jeannette del Bruyère in the future during major village events. Haut-Ittre can also introduce you to Julie and Julion des Rousses, a couple of ‘small giants’ who are not yet old enough to be part of Ittre heritage. Contrary to what one might think, the giants do not belong to the municipality, but to the inhabitants of the town, under the safekeeping of the Brotherhood of the Crastofé. Categories: Heritage - Folklore heritage - The Roman Païs and its 'giants' |