by InTrieste
You might have heard about sagre taking place around Trieste and around Friuli Venezia Giulia, as festivals that celebrate the origins of a place or honor some special local product.
Sagra de le Raze is no exception, a traditional festival that celebrates several aspects of the local folklore of the area of Bisiacaria, through the organization of art exhibitions, sport activities, concerts, culinary events and much more. If you moved to Italy you might have noticed that there is always an excuse to start a sagra, but these events are also perfect when you want to get closer to the people and the new place you live in.
The festival takes place in the village of Staranzano, in the county of Gorizia, from 29 August to 9 September.
It seems to be one of the oldest festivals in the region, dating back to the era of the Habsburg monarchy. Legends around the origin are more than a few and there are beliefs that it was brought as early as the end of the XVIII century by the French during the occupation of Napoleon’s troops. That is a claim that still needs to be verified, but it is certain that the festival existed under the Austro-Hungarian Empire as a farewell party for the soldiers that had been enlisted and were headed to Vienna.
The conscripts would celebrate by hunting wild ducks around the mouth of the Isonzo river and inviting friends and family to share the feast in the center of the village. Times have changed and luckily joining the army is not mandatory anymore, but the mallard is still a delicacy that you can taste in several forms: gnocchi con la raza, raza al forno, lasagne con la raza…this could give you a clue about what raza means.
During the last century the festival went through several transformations, growing from a small and local reality to a full-scale organized event. Thanks to the sponsorship of sport associations and community organizations, nowadays the festival takes form as a party for all, while effort is made by the organizing committee to maintain traditional aspects, like offering original recipes, costumed dances and enhancing the festival with innovative contents and creative traits.
Considering the fast changing nature of times and interests, it is extraordinary to see how people still identify with traditional habits and how they hand them down to the next generations. Languages and approaches need to adapt in order to respond to an audience that is growing and increasing year by year. The traditional Festa dell’uva, an event of the festival that celebrates the rural origins of Staranzano, is only one example of the coexistence of generations, dressing up all together and displaying the importance of history: during the parade, farmers and winegrowers drive old tractors giving away grapes and wine, surrounded by vintage chariots and a magical atmosphere.
Sagra de le Raze is a festival where you can experience, you can learn, you can taste and you can volunteer: solidarity and social responsibility are focal topics of the festival, which is still alive thanks to the cultural and recreational associations. Concerts, art and photography exhibitions, fair trade markets, raffles are only few of the reasons why this festival cannot be missed and the only way of preserving it is to feed it with presence.
Sagra de le Raze cannot only be called a festival, but an integral part of the community, a place where history and tradition meet the future generations and where a dialogue starts between cultures.
Staranzano is easily reachable by car, by regional bus and by train through the close by towns of Ronchi dei Legionari and Monfalcone.
