San Pietro Festival

The San Pietro Festival in Giustino

In the heart of Val Rendena, at the foot of the Brenta Dolomites and near the entrance to the famous Val di Genova, the village of Giustino celebrates its San Pietro Festival every summer. It is one of the most cherished local festivals in this corner of Trentino-Alto Adige, in the province of Trento. The Pro Loco Giustino hosts this event every first Sunday of July, bringing together the entire community and the many tourists who choose the valley as their base for hiking in the Adamello-Brenta Nature Park.

A blend of sacred and secular

The day weaves together the two typical faces of a Trentino village festival. On one hand, the religious dimension, with Holy Mass and a procession in honor of the saint for whom the festival is named; on the other, the carefree conviviality of the village square, lively from morning until night. From the early hours, the Vaso della Fortuna opens—a historic instant-win lottery always packed with prizes, which has accompanied festivals in this part of the Giudicarie valleys for generations.

The day's program

• Vaso della Fortuna open from the morning, with many prizes;
• Holy Mass with procession in honor of Saint Peter;
• Afternoon games designed for children and families;
• Two live bands, to suit all tastes and get the square dancing;
• Dinner with polenta and spit-roasted meat, the gastronomic heart of the festival.

Mountain flavors

The most anticipated moment remains the dinner featuring polenta and spit-roasted meat, a staple of Trentino mountain cuisine: yellow polenta served with meats slow-cooked on a spit, enjoyed at tables in the village square in a convivial atmosphere. It is the perfect opportunity to rediscover the genuine flavors of Val Rendena, a land of mountain pastures and the breeding of the prized Rendena cattle breed.

Giustino and Val Rendena

A small municipality of a few hundred inhabitants nestled at about 780 meters on the banks of the Sarca river, Giustino preserves the authentic atmosphere of mountain villages, with its parish church of Santa Lucia and stone houses. Much of its territory lies within the Adamello-Brenta Nature Park, the largest protected area in Trentino, and just a few kilometers away are Pinzolo and the Val di Genova with its waterfalls. For those visiting the valley, the San Pietro Festival is a precious opportunity to experience the tradition and hospitality of this community firsthand.