Festa della Madonna del Carmine

A village festival in the valleys of eastern Friuli

Hidden among the woods of Val Chiarò, in the hilly area of eastern Friuli, the hamlet of Masarolis belongs to the Municipality of Torreano, in the province of Udine, not far from Cividale del Friuli. Here, every summer, the community gathers for the Festa della Madonna del Carmine, an event that combines religious devotion and village celebration, marking the calendar of the small village for generations. It is one of those festivals that preserve the identity of mountain communities, in a territory also marked by the presence of the Slovenian linguistic minority.

Devotion and tradition

The heart of the event is religious: the liturgical celebrations in honor of the Madonna del Carmine culminate in the procession, accompanied by the Orzano band, which winds through the village in a very participatory moment. The festival is traditionally held on the first Sunday after July 16th, the day of the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Music, tombola, and Friulian flavors

The convivial part follows the religious one. From late afternoon, tombola (bingo), live music, and food stalls come alive, where the star is the crispy frico, a symbolic dish of Friulian cuisine, along with other local specialties. It is an evening of simple and authentic celebration, attracting residents from nearby hamlets and visitors looking for the genuine atmosphere of mountain festivals.

Where and when

The festival takes place in Masarolis, a hamlet of Torreano, reachable by car from Cividale del Friuli along Val Chiarò. The event falls in July, on the first Sunday after the 16th of the month.