Discover what to do in Pedemonte: the gnocco festival, the Gorgo di Casotto and Gorgo Santo, the church of Santa Maria Assunta. Do you want to know more? First of all…
Where is Pedemonte?
The municipality of Pedemonte borders to the northeast with Luserna, to the west and northwest with Lavarone, to the east and southeast with Valdastico, to the southwest with Lastebasse.
The gnocco festival
With rare exceptions, the gnocco festival is held every year in mid-August. In 2022, the festival took place on Sunday 14 and Monday 15 August in the locality of Brancafora.
To the solemnity of the liturgical ceremony commemorating the Assumption of Mary, the traditional recurrence adds the jovial and carefree atmosphere of a bygone popular celebration focused on the culinary specialties of the area. In addition to gnocchi with ragù, the event’s delicious main course, the rich menu includes exquisite chops, sausages, and grilled polenta slices to be enjoyed with cold mugs of beer, ideal for beating the summer heat.
The program also includes five-a-side football and volleyball matches, colorful inflatable games for the enjoyment of both adults and children, tribute band and DJ performances, folk dances, and vintage car exhibitions.
If you are wondering what to do in Pedemonte and want to spend the beautiful season among live music, outdoor sports, and mouth-watering specialties, in the setting of a sunny valley nestled in the Vicentine Prealps, attending the gnocco festival might be just what you’re looking for!
To stay updated on the next event, we recommend visiting the Facebook page Comitato Ciechi – Brancafora.
The Gorgo di Casotto and Gorgo Santo
To reach the Gorgo, you can leave your car in the football field parking lot opposite the institute of the Franciscan Elizabethan Sisters at Via Vittorio Emanuele, 10. Proceed southeast along Via Cesare Battisti for about 450 meters, then cross the bridge on Via Dogana and take the tree-lined path on your left that leads to the mysterious and spectacular water basin.
The visitor’s eyes are met with the scene of a chilly mirror of water rippled by a white waterfall that plunges from steep moss-veiled rock walls. Wrapped in the dense foliage of beech and white willow trees, the crystalline spring stands out for its bright shades ranging from sky blue to emerald green to dark blue.
If you are wondering what to do in Pedemonte, the Gorgo di Casotto is a serene oasis of peace immersed in greenery, ideal for sunbathing and letting yourself be lulled by the relaxing sound of an ancient waterfall. If you are fascinated by similar places, the Civetta Waterfall in Lastebasse is about 7 km from Casotto, the Montagna Spaccata in Recoaro Terme is a 45-minute drive away (44 km) while the Papalini Waterfall in Crespadoro is an hour and twenty minutes away.
The Gorgo Santo
Nestled in the slopes of the Vicentine Prealps, the Gorgo del Santo is a few steps from the parking lot on Via Posta (45.9065732067198, 11.313598101508665). Head north on Via Posta, cross the bridge over the Astico River, turn right onto Via Scalzeri, then immediately left between two houses onto the small road that leads to the nearby destination.
From a dark crevice on the mountainside, partly hidden by a curtain of climbing vegetation, a lively stream plunges into a clear chasm reflecting the branches of a yew tree.
The church of Santa Maria Assunta
Located at Via Brancafora, 23, the church of Santa Maria Assunta is one of the most significant religious and cultural landmarks of the municipality. Characterized by an elegant double-pitched façade, the white place of worship is accessible through a wooden architraved doorway above which a circular opening stands out.
The portal is flanked by large rectangular panels which, connected by the large round arch that encloses the rose window, reproduce the profile of a Serlian window.
Crowning the structure is the triangular pediment in which, at the center of the tympanum, five openings form a Greek cross with a small oculus in the center.
The church has a single nave illuminated by the rose window, the lateral lunettes, and the single lancet windows of the presbytery. Notable elements are the pulpit, decorated with green marble and gilded frames, an elaborate wooden crucifix placed on the high altar, and a refined pictorial decoration in the dome of the apse, depicting the Assumption of the Madonna into heaven. The composition portrays Mary in a white and blue robe, surrounded by angels and cherubs immersed in a shining blanket of clouds framed by the four evangelists, recognizable by the symbols of the ox (Luke), the eagle (John), the lion (Mark), and the angel (Matthew).
