90° Palo della Cuccagna

The competition has always been the heart of summer folk festivals. It originally consisted of climbing a tall wooden pole firmly planted in the ground, at the top of which trophies were hung, usually food items like salamis or hams.

Being a lakeside people, the inhabitants of Lazise have transformed the vertical pole into a well-greased horizontal pole positioned at the corner of the ancient port with a flag at the end, which must be detached and held in hand during the subsequent plunge into the water to claim the prize.

This competition has become one of the most characteristic events of Lazise and the lake and consists of running along the greasy pole, barefoot to successfully detach the flag located at the tip. The buteloti, the young men of Lazise, have always loved to take on this challenge, exhilarating for the spectators but not always painless for the participants.