Lorenzifest / Lorenzi-Fest

A fire festival in the South Tyrolean mountains

The Lorenzifest (known in German as Lorenzi-Fest) is one of the most evocative summer events in Villandro/Villanders, a small town in the Isarco Valley in the province of Bolzano, in the heart of Trentino-Alto Adige. The festival is hosted at the Kulturtreff Rotlahn, the cultural center of the historic Bergwerk Villanders mine—one of the most important mining complexes in the Tyrol during the Middle Ages—nestled on the steep, wooded slopes of the Rotlahn with views of the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site.

Fire, music, and tradition

Lorenzifest is designed as an immersive evening that weaves together three elements dear to South Tyrolean culture: fire, music, and folk traditions. The festival begins in the late afternoon with live music, singing, and dancing, culminating in the evening with the grand Saint Lawrence bonfire (Lorenzifeuer), accompanied by stories and tales of local peasant culture narrated in the local dialect. It is a unique opportunity to experience the authentic atmosphere of the mining village, far from mass tourism.

The connection to Saint Lawrence

The festival is closely linked to the feast of Saint Lawrence, celebrated on August 10th, a night traditionally associated with shooting stars. The fire that gives the event its name recalls the propitiatory bonfires typical of Alpine valleys and is part of the summer festival calendar that enlivens South Tyrol throughout August.

The setting: Bergwerk Villanders

The setting makes the Lorenzifest particularly special: the Villanders mine, with its historic tunnels such as the Elisabeth-Stollen and the San Lorenzo-Stollen, is now a museum and a vibrant cultural center that offers underground guided tours, workshops, and concerts during the summer. The Kulturtreff Rotlahn serves as the meeting point for these events, a place where mining history, nature, and folk culture converge.