Festa della Madonna del Carmine

Almost three centuries of tradition

The Festa della Madonna del Carmine, popularly known as Tersa de Lujo, is the defining festival of Cavaion Veronese, in the province of Verona, in the hinterland of Lake Garda. It has its roots in the deepest popular history of the town: the Confraternity of the Carmine, active since the 17th century, managed funeral rites and gained importance during the plague of 1630 and the cholera epidemics of the 19th century.

Devotion and harvest

The celebration combined Marian devotion with relief from agricultural labours, traditionally held on the first Sunday after July 16th, at the height of the harvest season. It is this peasant and religious origin that gives the festival its deeply felt character within the community, making it one of the oldest in the Garda area.

Wine, culture, and Lake Garda

Today, the festival takes place in the evocative Corte Torcolo and features the renowned wine competitions: the Trofeo Corte Torcolo for Bardolino Classico DOC and the Trofeo San Michele for Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante DOC. The programme is rounded out by live music (from afro to liscio), food stalls, art exhibitions, wine tastings, and guided excursions to Monte San Michele. An event that, as the administration recalls, also attracts the numerous foreign visitors to Garda.