Cabossa Festival

The fire that ignites the new year

In the Bassa Friulana, as Epiphany evening falls, the sky turns red: it's the night of propitiatory bonfires, which here, between Aquileia and Fiumicello, are called Cabossa. In San Valentino di Fiumicello, along Via Antonio Gramsci, the community gathers on January 6th around a large pyre of wood and bundles, in one of the most heartfelt and ancient traditions of the area.

A tradition rooted in centuries

New Year's bonfires are a heritage of northeastern Italy: pignarûl, foghera, panevin, casera, or indeed Cabossa, change names but not meaning. Their roots lie in purification and propitiatory rites from pre-Christian times, perhaps linked to the ancient cult of Beleno, the deity of light and fire. Peasant tradition dictates that the direction of the smoke can predict the harvest's success: sparks towards the east announce an abundant year, smoke towards the west advises caution.

Around the fire, the community

The Festa della Cabossa is, above all, a moment of meeting and sharing: people gather around the flames to exchange good wishes, warm up with mulled wine and traditional sweets, and greet the arrival of the new year together. The event is organized by local associations with the support of the Municipality of Fiumicello Villa Vicentina, an example of volunteerism keeping the village's memory alive.

Between Aquileia and the lagoon

San Valentino di Fiumicello is located in the heart of the Bassa Friulana, a few kilometers from Aquileia—where another famous Cabossa is lit—and the Grado lagoon. Epiphany is the ideal time to discover this territory in its most authentic and intimate guise.