by InTrieste
The village of Prosecco, perched on the Karst plateau above Trieste, will once again host its traditional Festa di San Martino from November 7 to 11, reviving centuries-old agricultural customs and drawing visitors to a region known for its wine-growing heritage.
City officials unveiled details of the event during a briefing at Trieste’s City Hall, led by Deputy Mayor and Economic Policy Councillor Serena Tonel. Representatives from local civic and agricultural associations, including the I Circoscrizione Altipiano Ovest, the Miramare Marine Protected Area, the Kmečka zveza Farmers’ Association and the Prosekar cultural group, also participated.
Long considered one of the area’s most emblematic rural celebrations, the San Martino festival marks the close of the agricultural year and showcases the region’s food and wine traditions. Tonel described the event as “a much-anticipated” celebration that highlights the agricultural sector and serves as an “occasion to take stock of the year’s production while promoting the area’s high-quality food and wine products.” She added that the city continues to support traditional events as part of its strategic plan to stimulate cultural and economic activity.
Festivities begin on November 7 with the opening of an exhibition by artist Marco Novak and a presentation by the WWF introducing a new trilingual digital map of the UNESCO-designated Miramare Biosphere Reserve and the Trieste coastline. The map is designed to expand access to environmental information in Italian, Slovenian and English.
Among the highlights is the “Furenga di San Martino,” scheduled for the afternoon of November 9, when horse-drawn wagons will transport the season’s new wine through the village. The procession will be accompanied by musical groups and followed by a ceremonial “baptism” of the wine by a local wine confraternity.
November 11, the feast day of Saint Martin and Prosecco’s patron saint, will feature a traditional street fair, agricultural market and a solemn Mass at the local parish church. Throughout the five-day program, associations will stage concerts, theater performances, book presentations, guided walks, sports activities and card tournaments. A children’s amusement park will operate from October 31 through November 11.
The festival will also spotlight the Miramare Biosphere Reserve through events organized with the WWF, including guided walks exploring dry-stone terracing, ancient agricultural practices and coastal footpaths connecting the Karst ridge to the sea. Additional family-focused programming includes a bilingual Italian-Slovenian reading event for young children at the BioMa environmental center, marking the anniversary of the Miramare Marine Protected Area.
Workshops on traditional nature-based crafts and sustainable agriculture, as well as educational activities for local primary schools, will continue throughout early November as part of long-term European environmental initiatives in the region.
According to Deputy Mayor Tonel, a parallel celebration will also take place in the nearby district of Servola on November 11, organized in collaboration with the local chamber of commerce.
