Festival of Our Lady of the Snows

Our Lady of the Snows in Raffa

In Raffa, a hamlet of Puegnago del Garda in the Brescia region's Valtènesi, August 5th is the day of Our Lady of the Snows. The commemoration, which in Catholic tradition recalls the miracle of the summer snowfall that led to the founding of the Roman basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, is linked here to the church that overlooks the hilly village and bears the same name.

The church on the hill

The Church of Santa Maria della Neve stands on a hill in the old part of Raffa and dates back to 1824. Inside, it houses a precious painting by Andrea Celesti, an important Venetian painter who was active for a long time around Lake Garda, making it a small treasure chest of art as well as the focal point of local devotion.

The solemn procession

The central moment of the festival is the solemn procession which, during the first week of August and particularly on the 5th, winds through the hamlet and reaches the Church of Our Lady of the Snows. It is an ancient and well-attended rite, which the community of Raffa renews every year by gathering around its patron saint.

Identity of a hamlet

Raffa was only united with Puegnago in 1928, and the festival of Our Lady of the Snows preserves the character of a tradition specific to the hamlet, jealously guarded by its inhabitants. Experiencing this festival means discovering an authentic and intimate corner of Valtènesi, in Lombardy, where faith and local history intertwine against the gentle backdrop of the Garda hills.