by InTrieste
Interview: FVG councilor for immigration, Pierpaolo Roberti
The centuries-old tradition of the Karst Weddings returned this weekend, drawing locals and visitors alike to the rocky plateau above Trieste. On Sunday, August 31, the ceremony at the church of Monrupino marked the highlight of the festivities, where Tina Forčič and Thomas Velikonja were married in front of a large crowd.
Among the guests was Slovenia’s president, Nataša Pirc Musar, who praised the continuation of the custom. “I am very happy that these traditions are being preserved and that the Karst Weddings have been celebrated again this year,” she said after greeting the newlyweds outside the church.
Under favorable weather, hundreds of people — many in traditional costumes — lined the path outside the church to welcome the bride and groom. The celebration quickly turned into a festival of music and dancing, continuing a weekend filled with rituals and pageantry.
The days leading up to the wedding included serenades, toasts, and the symbolic delivery of the bride’s dowry on Saturday evening, carried on a traditional ox-drawn cart to the groom’s home. On Sunday morning, the procession of costumed participants began at the Casa Carsica before making its way up from Zolla to the church, where the marriage was celebrated at 11 a.m.
By the afternoon, the village of Monrupino had transformed into a lively stage of folk traditions, with dancing in the square, music, and communal festivities, reaffirming the Karst Weddings as one of the region’s most emblematic cultural events.
