Period: first week of August, 4-day Festival at Loc. Madonna and Piazza Don Vantini in Colà di Lazise
The legend
As narrated by various Christian authors, a wealthy Roman patrician would see in a dream during the night of August 4 352 ad, the Virgin Mary who asked him to build a church at the place where the next morning he found fresh snow. The next day he visited the Pope to tell him what was seen and the Pontiff said he had had the same vision. The Prodigy meanwhile had come true and by order of the Pope came to draw the plan of a basilica exactly where the snow fell in August. According to the story, the basilica would be financed by patrizio and was renamed the Basilica of Santa Maria della Neve.
The celebration
The feast of the Madonna della Neve is a true country fair celebrated on 5 August and gives rise to a large party of 4 days in Colà di Lazise, where is the church dedicated to the Madonna della Neve, organised by associations of Cola the Gens Claudia, running The Sgalmare group and the Alpine group of Cola. The program traditionally includes food stands, orchestra with ballroom dancing and fun fair. The festival is also called the "Festival de l ' ànara": both booths that restaurants serving local specialities, stuffed duck.
