Kirchtag Gossensass (Gossensass Patronal Festival)

The Kirchtag of Gossensass, the heart of Upper Isarco Valley tradition

The Kirchtag of Gossensass (known as Colle Isarco in Italian) is the annual village festival of the community, an event deeply rooted in the Tyrolean culture of South Tyrol. It takes place in Gossensass, the main village of the Municipality of Brenner (Marktgemeinde Brenner), the first town south of the Brenner Pass, nestled at an altitude of 1,098 meters in the Wipptal, at the entrance to the Fleres Valley. As in all German-speaking towns in South Tyrol, the Kirchtag combines the religious significance of a patronal feast with the conviviality of a true village celebration.

A day of celebration on the Festplatz

The festival begins in the morning with Holy Mass in the parish church, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, followed by the official honors of the Municipality of Brenner. The musical heart of the day is the concert by the Vereinskapelle Gossensass, the local brass band, which accompanies the festivities on the Festplatz set up on Ibsenplatz, the square named after the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. In the afternoon, the atmosphere heats up with musical entertainment and the sounds of traditional Tyrolean brass music, in a joyful setting that brings together both locals and visitors.

Gastronomy and community

Local associations play a central role: the Volunteer Fire Brigade of Gossensass (Freiwillige Feuerwehr) and the local farmers (Ortsbäuerinnen) prepare and serve South Tyrolean culinary specialties, ranging from traditional dishes to homemade desserts. The Kirchtag is thus a meeting point for the entire community and the many guests visiting Gossensass during the summer months.

Gossensass: mining history, spas, and Ibsen

Gossensass experienced its first golden age in the Middle Ages thanks to the silver and lead mines of the Fleres Valley, which were active until 1918. A second prosperous era arrived in the 19th century with the discovery of the thermal springs of Brennerbad, which made the town one of the most important holiday resorts in Tyrol after Merano. It was during those years that the great playwright Henrik Ibsen stayed in Gossensass several times, a legacy remembered today by the Ibsen Trail and Ibsenplatz. Attending the Kirchtag means immersing yourself in the soul of this border village, where the Tyrolean tradition of South Tyrol is still very much alive.