Vigiliane Festival

The Vigiliane Festival: The soul of Trento in celebration

The Vigiliane Festival is the most cherished popular event in Trento, the capital of the Trentino-Alto Adige region. Every year, during the last week of June, the city pays tribute to its patron saint, Saint Vigilius, whose feast day falls on June 26th. For an entire week, the squares, alleys, and palaces of the historic center come alive with processions, performances, music, river games on the Adige, and ancient rituals rooted in the city's medieval history.

A tradition that evokes the city's history

The heart of the festival is the renowned Historical Pageant, which parades through the city center with costumed performers, and the Ciusi and Gobj challenge in Piazza Fiera: a re-enactment battle involving polenta that commemorates the ancient rivalry between local districts over the possession of a cooking pot. Equally anticipated is the Tonca, a satirical and lighthearted mock trial that annually puts the year's vices and follies on public display: the condemned is symbolically dunked into the waters of the Adige River.

The program: Between the river, squares, and community

The Vigiliane Festival program weaves together solemn appointments and moments of pure popular fun:

• Historical Pageant along the city center streets, with street theater performances;
• Palio dell'Oca, the race between city districts on the waters of the Adige, testing skill and team spirit;
• The Tonca and the Tribunal of Penance, the festival's most famous satirical ritual;
• Magica Notte, the white night with shops open late, music, and shows;
• Vigiliane Folk in Piazza Mostra, dedicated to traditional dances, from Southern Italian pizzica to European balfolk;
• Vigiliane Kids, with workshops and activities for children and families in the courtyards of Palazzo Thun and Palazzo Geremia;
• the Ganzega dei Ciusi e dei Gobj, the grand communal dinner in Piazza Duomo.

The grand finale on June 26th

The festival culminates on the day of Saint Vigilius with a solemn Pontifical Mass in the Cathedral, the procession with the patron saint's relics, the Ciusi and Gobj challenge, and finally, the spectacular Saint Vigilius fireworks that light up the sky over the Adige. Organized by the Centro Servizi Culturali Santa Chiara in collaboration with the Municipality of Trento and the Pro Loco Centro Storico Trento for the historical re-enactment, the Vigiliane Festival has been a defining identity event for the city and the entire Trentino region for over forty years.