San Rocco Festival

The Patron Saint and the Two Districts

Every year, around August 16th, Villesse celebrates its patron saint with San Rocco Festival, one of the most cherished events of the summer in the lower Isontina plain. The festival combines religious tradition with the purely local tradition of the challenge between the two districts into which the community has always been ideally divided: Plaza and Porciaria, who compete in races and games, infusing the event with healthy local pride.

Flavors and Music Every Evening

For several days, the square transforms into a large gathering place: the food stalls open in the late afternoon, from 5:30 PM, offering traditional Friulian dishes, while every evening there are free concerts and dance nights with orchestras and musical groups. There are also bingo games, activities and shows for children, and the traditional scampanadors, the bell ringers who accompany the festival.

A Community Celebration

Organized by the Pro Loco of Villesse with the support of the Municipality, the San Rocco festival is the time when the entire town comes together, amidst devotion, fun, and conviviality. The rivalry between Plaza and Porciaria, experienced with humor and participation, is the distinctive feature of an event that continues to keep the identity of Villesse alive in the heart of the province of Gorizia.