Festa Patronale di San Nicolò a Perarolo di Cadore

The patron saint of Perarolo

The Festa Patronale di San Nicolò is the most important event for the community of Perarolo di Cadore, a municipality in the province of Belluno in the heart of the Dolomites. It is celebrated every year on December 6th, the liturgical day of Saint Nicholas of Bari (Saint Nicholas the Bishop), the town's patron saint, at the parish church named after him on Via Sant'Anna.

A centuries-old religious celebration

The feast is essentially religious in nature: the community gathers in the parish church for a solemn celebration in honor of the patron saint. Saint Nicholas, a beloved figure in the Alpine valleys and associated with the tradition of gift-giving to children, is venerated throughout the Dolomites, and in Perarolo his feast marks the beginning of the Advent season for generations.

Perarolo, gateway to Cadore

Perarolo di Cadore is located at the confluence of the Piave and Boite rivers, in a strategic position that made it an important center for the timber trade floated down the Piave in the past. The parish church of San Nicolò, the heart of the village, testifies to the long history of faith of this mountain community, nestled among the peaks of Cadore along the road leading up to Cortina d'Ampezzo.