Festa di San Rocco

A mid-summer celebration in Valle Imagna

In Costa Valle Imagna, a small municipality nestled on the slopes of Valle Imagna in the province of Bergamo, August 16th is a date eagerly awaited all year round. The Festa di San Rocco is the village's major summer event: a day where religious and popular dimensions merge, bringing together residents, holidaymakers, and many returning emigrants for the holidays. Documented for years by the local press, starting with L'Eco di Bergamo, it is one of those village festivals that preserve the identity of the Bergamasco communities in the upper valley.

The rite and the procession

The day begins with the solemn morning Mass in the parish church, followed by the traditional charity auction of San Rocco's throne, a convivial moment that raises funds for the community. In the afternoon, the heart of the festival is the procession: the statue of the saint is carried on shoulders through the village streets, decorated for the occasion, accompanied by the faithful and confraternities. San Rocco, invoked since the Middle Ages as a protector against epidemics, is a figure dear to Bergamasco popular devotion.

The popular festival

The actual festival unfolds around the religious rite. A market of typical local products and crafts winds through the streets of the historic centre, while in the evening, a concert in the parish theatre and musical entertainment in the square take place. The most anticipated moment remains the evening fireworks display, which lights up the sky above the Valle Imagna basin and marks the climax of the celebrations.

Why it's worth it

More than a spectacular event, the Festa di San Rocco is an opportunity to discover the authenticity of a village in the upper Valle Imagna, far from the tourist circuits, where tradition is still alive and participatory. A mid-August day to experience in contact with the local people, amidst flavours, faith, and conviviality.