A New Era and an Old Faith
On the Friday following Christ's Ascension into Heaven, a "Plague Procession" will be held. The procession will begin in Castelrotto, and it is expected that a great many believers will participate. Very nearly every dwelling in Castelrotto will be represented by at least one person. The procession is a remembrance of the last outbreak of the plague in 1936/37 in Tyrol. At that time, the Black Death claimed many lives in Castelrotto, too, and to prevent it from happening again, the participants follow the old tradition and solemnly march from the village to St. Michael, then to St. Valentine, and then back again.
Tailor-Made Traditional Garments...
On the occasion of high religious holidays, baptisms, Holy Communion and Confirmation celebrations, burials, and other festivities, the populace of the Alpe di Siusi region wears its finest traditional clothing. A dozen different basic styles of traditional garments worn on various different occasions have survived until the present day. To become acquainted with the variety of garbs, visitors are welcome to attend the famed "Farmer's Wedding" celebrated on a designated winter Sunday according to local traditions.
The Farmer's Wedding
The Farmer's Wedding in Castelrotto is a reflecion of the customs and traditions of this community. You can witness the typical Wedding Feast and admire the traditional garb of the wedding guests. The long parade of traditionally dressed participants begins in St. Valentine and continues to Castelrotto. There, the participants are asked to approach the "catwalk": an expert will explain the meaning and the names of the individual garments before you are invited into the local innts to enjoy a slice of "Hoazetkuchl" ("wedding cake").
