Torchlight Procession of Valle Camonica and Feast of Blessed Innocenzo da Berzo

A Torchlight Procession in the Heart of Valle Camonica

The Torchlight Procession of Valle Camonica is one of the most evocative devotional events in the winter calendar of Valle Camonica. It takes place in Berzo Inferiore, a town in the Province of Brescia at the foot of the Concarena massif, where Giovanni Battista Scalvinoni was born in 1844, later becoming a Capuchin friar named Blessed Innocenzo da Berzo. His gentle and deeply spiritual figure is still venerated throughout the valley.

The Pilgrims' Journey

The symbolic moment of the event is the Saturday evening torchlight procession: groups of pilgrims set off on foot, carrying lit torches, from eight different locations in and around the valley — Sovere, Pisogne, Angone, Niardo, Edolo, Capo di Ponte, Piamborno, and from the Annunciation convent in Piancogno. The distances vary from 40 to 7 kilometers, and all paths converge towards the parish church of Berzo Inferiore, where pilgrims receive a blessing at the end of their journey.

Three Days of Devotion

The feast is not just the torchlight procession; it continues for three days with a full program of Eucharistic celebrations presided over by local priests and religious, culminating on March 3rd, the liturgical feast day of Blessed Innocenzo (anniversary of his death in 1890). On this day, masses are held from dawn to evening, and the town comes alive with market stalls.

A Shared Tradition

Organized by the Parish of Santa Maria Nascente in Berzo Inferiore together with the Pastoral Unit of Valgrigna and local parishes, the torchlight procession is much more than a religious rite; it is a moment of community that annually gathers hundreds of people from Valle Camonica of all ages, united by the night walk and the memory of a beloved local saint.