Ancient Fair of Our Lady of Sorrows - Festival of the Fisciòt

A Belluno tradition lasting over three centuries

The Ancient Fair of Our Lady of Sorrows, popularly called the Festival of the Fisciòt, is one of the most cherished events in the traditional calendar of Belluno, the provincial capital in the heart of the Venetian Dolomites. The festival originated in 1716, when citizens commissioned a statue of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows to celebrate the end of a plague. The artwork, created by Giovanni Battista Alchini, a student of the renowned carver Andrea Brustolon, is still housed today in the church of Santo Stefano and is carried in procession.

Where does the name "Fisciòt" come from

The popular nickname of the fair comes from the fisciòt, the small whistles that local artisans made and sold along the streets during the market day. This detail tells of the artisanal and popular soul of this event, where religious devotion and village celebration still coexist today.

Stalls throughout the historic center

For an entire day, the streets and squares of the center — from Via Loreto to Via Roma, from Piazza dei Martiri to Piazza Castello, Piazza Duomo, Piazza delle Erbe, Piazza Piloni, and Piazza Mercato — transform into a large market. You can find sweets, toys, glass, ceramic, and wooden items, textiles, costume jewelry, honey, aromatic essences, leather goods, and gastronomic products, as well as the "Cose di Vecchie Case" antique market and hobbyist exhibitors.

A city closed to traffic

For the occasion, the Municipality of Belluno organizes an ecological Sunday, with a ban on motor vehicle traffic in the historic center, and enhances public transport with Dolomitibus. A festival accessible to all, which every spring attracts people from Belluno and visitors from all over the province.