Festa dell'Assunta e Sagra del Gnocco a Brancafora

Ferragosto in Brancafora between faith and tradition

The Feast of the Assumption and Sagra del Gnocco is the patronal festival of the hamlet of Brancafora, in the municipality of Pedemonte, in the province of Vicenza. It takes place around August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption, and combines Marian devotion linked to the church of Santa Maria Assunta with the conviviality of a village festival deeply rooted in the community of Valdastico.

The Alpini procession

The most evocative moment is the evening of August 15th, when the statue of the Madonna Assunta is carried in procession through the streets of the contrada by the Gruppo Alpini di Pedemonte, accompanied by the sound of the traditional campanon. A rite that every year draws the inhabitants and many who return to the village for the occasion, renewing a bond between faith and community identity.

The gnocchi protagonist

The gastronomic heart of the festival is the handmade gnocchi, prepared by the Comitato Feste Ciechi-Brancafora and served every evening along with other local specialties. The evenings are enlivened by live concerts, DJ sets, comedy shows, and theater performances, while for the little ones there is entertainment with clowns.

Brancafora and Valdastico

The church of Santa Maria Assunta in Brancafora is a stop on the Cammino delle Apparizioni (Path of the Apparitions) and a guardian of a long devotional tradition. The hamlet is located in a panoramic position at the entrance to Valdastico, between the pre-Alpine hills of Vicenza on the border with Trentino, offering an authentic glimpse of the contrada festivals of the mountain regions of Veneto.