Bezzecca Carnival Gnocchi Festival

The delicious Carnival of the Ledro Valley

In the heart of the Ledro Valley, nestled among the mountains overlooking the lake of the same name and the nearby Lake Garda, the village of Bezzecca celebrates Carnival as tradition dictates: in the square, all together, with good seasonal food. Every year, on Shrove Thursday, the Pro Loco of Bezzecca sets up in Piazza Garibaldi to distribute Carnival gnocchi and grostoi—the typical fried pastries of the season—creating one of the most anticipated popular festivals in the area.

Gnocchi and grostoi, the flavors of Shrove Thursday

The heart of the event is purely gastronomic and communal. The community gathers in the main square to enjoy the iconic dishes of the Trentino Carnival: gnocchi, served hot and steaming, and grostoi, thin, crispy fried dough sheets dusted with sugar that have always accompanied pre-Lenten festivities in Trentino. Admission is free, and the atmosphere is that of a genuine village festival, where the focus is not on big names, but on conviviality and the pleasure of being together.

Bezzecca, between history and tradition

Bezzecca is now a district of the Municipality of Ledro, in the Province of Trento (Trentino-Alto Adige), formed in 2010 from the merger of six ancient municipalities in the valley. The village is famous for its Risorgimento past: here, in 1866, the battle took place where Giuseppe Garibaldi responded to a retreat order with his famous "I obey." The gnocchi festival takes place right in Piazza Garibaldi, dominated by the parish church of Saints Stefano and Lorenzo, weaving the local historical memory with the vitality of the rural traditions still alive in the Ledro community.

A community celebration

The distribution of gnocchi in Bezzecca is part of the wider calendar of carnival festivities in the Alto Garda and Ledro Valley, which sees various villages come alive each year with masks, parades, and culinary specialties. Organized by the local Pro Loco, the festival is designed for families and visitors alike: a simple and convivial opportunity to discover an authentic corner of Trentino and savor the true tastes of a mountain Carnival.