Madonna di Piné Patronal Feast

A votive feast that unites two municipalities

The Madonna di Piné Patronal Feast is the most deeply felt tradition on the Piné Plateau in Trentino-Alto Adige. Celebrated annually on May 26th, it brings together the municipalities of Baselga di Piné and Bedollo, united for centuries by their devotion to the Virgin and the renewal of a shared vow. The heart of the celebration is the Marian Sanctuary of Montagnaga, one of Trentino's primary pilgrimage sites, and the nearby Prato della Comparsa, where the first apparition is said to have occurred.

The origins: the 1729 apparitions

The devotion stems from the apparitions that the young shepherdess Domenica Targa claimed to have witnessed in Montagnaga between 1729 and 1730. The date of May 26th commemorates the feast of the Madonna of Caravaggio, whose image had been brought to the Plateau and venerated on that day each year. Following a canonical trial held in 1730 at the Buonconsiglio Castle in Trento, the Pinetano community made a perpetual vow to the Madonna, which is still solemnly renewed during the feast today. Surrounding the sanctuary are the sites of devotional memory: the Church of Saint Anne, the Comparsa monument, the birthplace of Domenica Targa, and the votive shrines along the path.

The procession and solemn mass

On the afternoon of May 26th, pilgrims gather at the middle school in Baselga di Piné, on Via del 26 Maggio, and set off in a procession toward the Montagnaga Sanctuary, pausing for prayer before reaching the Prato della Comparsa. Here, a solemn mass is celebrated, accompanied by the Plateau's parish choirs. Before the final blessing, a representative of the municipal administrations renews the community's vow to the Madonna, while the Schützen fire a blank volley in her honor.

The civic celebration: Alpini, choirs, and community

The religious aspect is complemented by a civic and community dimension. At the ANA (Alpini) headquarters in Baselga di Piné, volunteers serve pasta to attendees, while the Gruppo Bandistico Folk Pinetano and local choirs provide musical entertainment. In the evening, at the municipal theater, the Pinetano of the Year is announced—an award given to an individual who has distinguished themselves in service to the community—and the municipal charter is presented to the newly turned eighteen-year-olds of Baselga di Piné and Bedollo. A free shuttle service connects the various locations on the Plateau to the Prato della Comparsa.

A heritage of popular traditions

The Madonna di Piné Feast is much more than a liturgical event: it is an identity-defining occasion that weaves together faith, folklore, and popular traditions, rooted in the history of Pinetano emigration to Brazil and a strong sense of community. For those visiting Trentino in late May, it offers an authentic opportunity to discover the Piné Plateau, its choirs, its traditional groups, and the spirituality of a sanctuary beloved by generations of pilgrims.