Lights and Notes of Hope – Calliano Christmas Village

Christmas in Calliano, Vallagarina

Calliano is a small town in the Vallagarina valley, in the province of Trento (Trentino-Alto Adige), situated along the Adige valley halfway between two historic castles: Castel Beseno, the largest fortress in Trentino, and Castel Pietra. Against this backdrop, every year between Advent and Epiphany, the town lights up with the "Lights and Notes of Hope" festival, a Christmas Village that brings the historic center and Piazza Marconi to life.

Nativity scenes in the windows

The heart of the event is the handcrafted nativity scenes: from December 8th to January 6th, the village streets, the square, and the most characteristic corners are filled with nativity scenes built from natural and recycled materials, the result of the residents' hard work and passion. Courtyards, porticoes, windows, and fountains are transformed into a widespread trail to be explored on foot, revealing the town's most ancient and charming spots. Calliano is thus part of the extensive "Villages of Nativity Scenes" network in the Vallagarina.

The Christmas Village and music

The Christmas Village welcomes visitors with soft lights, wooden stalls, the scent of mulled wine, and local specialties. The festival owes its name to the concerts and musical moments that accompany the holiday season, hosted in the local church and throughout the center: choral performances, organ concerts, and evenings that blend reflection with conviviality.

Saint Nicholas and the Krampus

The most folkloric and Alpine aspect of Trentino Christmas is not to be missed. In the first days of December, Calliano hosts the arrival of Saint Nicholas and the parades of the Krampus, the unsettling masked creatures of Alpine folklore who roam the streets with cowbells and torches. The "Waiting for Saint Nicholas, the Krampus are coming" event takes place along Via Valentini during the first weekend of December, organized by local associations.

A Christmas network in the Vallagarina

The Calliano festival is part of the "Christmas in the Vallagarina" program, which brings dozens of mountain villages to life between December and early January with music, gastronomy, markets, and traditions. Together with neighboring Besenello, Nomi, and Volano, Calliano offers an authentic, family-friendly Christmas, far from the crowds of large markets and immersed in the landscape of the lower Vallagarina, just minutes from Rovereto.

The dates for the 2026 edition have not yet been announced: however, the event is renewed every year during the Advent period, with the usual setting of nativity scenes, lights, and musical appointments.