Pizzano Festival

An ancient tradition of the upper Val di Sole

The Pizzano Festival takes place in the hamlet of the same name in the municipality of Vermiglio, in the upper Val di Sole, at the north-western edge of Trentino-Alto Adige. It is a celebration deeply rooted in the community's history, born from the cult of the Madonna delle Grazie and the memory of the pegoreri—the young men of Vermiglio who, driven by poverty, left to work as shepherds in the Brescian valleys, returning to the village towards the end of May while accompanying thousands of sheep from the Bergamo and Brescia areas.

Devotion to the Madonna delle Grazie

It was the shepherds themselves who purchased a statue of the Madonna, which was placed in the Church of Saints Fabiano and Sebastiano in Pizzano, a subsidiary church dating back to the 13th century, with its solemn consecration taking place in 1649. This sparked an intense popular devotion: the Madonna delle Grazie was invoked for a favorable season and to ward off calamities. During the most difficult times, the statue was carried in procession through the hamlets of Vermiglio to avert droughts, floods, avalanches, and the spread of disease.

The revival since 1990

After years of being forgotten, the event was revived in 1990 by a dedicated Pizzano Festival Committee, which has since promoted this occasion, vital to the history and memory of the upper valley's shepherds. The festival is traditionally held on the last Sunday of May or the first few days of June, coinciding with the ancient return period of the pegoreri.

Faith, community, and mountain flavors

The day blends religious moments—mass and quiet reflection at the small church of Pizzano—with community festivities. In recent editions, the opening evening has featured live music and entertainment, while the committee's stalls offer traditional Trentino dishes. It is an opportunity for locals, relatives, and friends to reconnect, keeping alive the bond with a past of hardship and seasonal migration that has profoundly shaped Vermiglio.

A small village in the mountains

Pizzano is one of the hamlets of Vermiglio, a high-mountain municipality overlooking the Tonale Pass and the peaks of the Ortles-Cevedale and Adamello-Presanella groups. The festival, discreet and authentic, offers visitors a rare glimpse into the popular and religious culture of the Val di Sole, far from the main tourist flows.