Solennità Patronale San Gaudenzio

The Solemnity of San Gaudenzio in Esmate

The Solemnity of San Gaudenzio is the feast of the patron saint of Esmate, a hamlet in the municipality of Solto Collina in the Province of Bergamo, on the hills of the upper Lake Iseo. Dedicated to San Gaudenzio (327-418), a bishop venerated by the community, the festival is celebrated every year on the first Sunday of August, with three days of religious and popular events organised by the parish.

Flavours of Tradition

Cuisine is one of the souls of the festival, with a menu that draws on Bergamascan tradition: capù (cabbage rolls typical of the Bergamo area), polenta taragna with sausage, and wild boar stew mark the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. The oratory's long tables become a meeting place for the Esmate community and the many holidaymakers by the lake.

Music, Tombola, and "Pacco del Parroco"

The evenings are enlivened by live music, tombola games, and the fun "Pacco del Parroco" (The Parish Priest's Hamper), a surprise that brings smiles and keeps anticipation high. It is the most convivial and ironic face of a festival that knows how to combine solemnity and cheerfulness.

The Procession

The most solemn moment arrives on Sunday, with the Mass led by the local choir and the procession that carries the statue of San Gaudenzio through the streets of Esmate. It is the religious and identity core of the festival, in which the community renews its bond with its patron saint. Experiencing the Solemnity of San Gaudenzio means discovering the authenticity of a small village in Lombardy overlooking Lake Iseo.