Festival of Our Lady of the Vineyards

A Vow from 1781

The Festival of Our Lady of the Vineyards is the patronal festival of Castelli Calepio, a municipality in the Province of Bergamo, and is celebrated particularly in the hamlet of Tagliuno. Its origin dates back to 1781, when the inhabitants made a solemn vow to the Virgin: they would celebrate a festival in her honor if she freed the vineyards from the invasion of caterpillars, known as «gatole» in the Bergamasco dialect, which had infested them for years, causing serious damage. Their prayers were answered, and from that moment on, the festival has been repeated every year.

The «Madóna dele gatole»

In the local dialect, the festival is known as «Madóna dele gatole», precisely in memory of the caterpillars that threatened the harvests. It is celebrated eight days after Easter Monday, in spring, when the vineyards begin to sprout again: a symbolic link between devotion and the cycle of the earth that makes this event particularly cherished by the community.

A Community Festival

The Festival of Our Lady of the Vineyards combines the religious dimension — with celebrations and a procession in honor of the Virgin — with the popular aspect, made up of moments of gathering, tradition, and conviviality in the village of Tagliuno. It is the identity event of Castelli Calepio, which renews the vow of its ancestors and the bond with its history every year.

Land of Vineyards

It is no coincidence that the patron saint of Castelli Calepio is linked to the vineyards: this corner of the Bergamasco area, between the Oglio River and the hills, has an ancient tradition of winemaking. The festival therefore also tells the story of the agricultural identity of the territory, where the care of the vines has shaped the landscape and the life of the community for centuries.