SATURDAY, 23rd OF JULY 2022
The Cuccagna competition has always been the soul of popular summer festivals and consisted in climbing a tall, smooth wooden pole driven firmly into the ground, at the top of which were hung trophies, usually foodstuffs such as salami or hams. Being lake people, the inhabitants of Lazise transformed the vertical pole into a well-greased horizontal pole placed on the corner of the old harbour with a small flag at the end, which must be detached and held in the hand during the ensuing plunge into the water in order to claim the prize. This competition has become one of the most characteristic events of Lazise and the Lake.
The spectacular race consists in running barefoot along the pole, soaked in grease, in order to pull off the flag placed at the tip. The 'buteloti', the young men of Lazise, have always loved to engage in this race, which is exhilarating for spectators but not always painless for the participants.