Leron 2022

The 20th “Leron” folklore festival, organized by the Italian Community of Vodnjan-Dignano, was joyfully celebrated after two years of restrictions. This year, the festival lasted one day longer, starting on Thursday evening with an event dedicated to Furlana. Dario Marušić, a musician, ethnomusicologist, and passionate scholar of traditional Istrian music, gave a conference on Furlana at Zagrebački trg-Piazza Zagabria, accompanied by performances from the folklore groups of the Italian Community of Vodnjan-Dignano and the Italian Community Galižana-Gallesano.

A total of nine groups participated in the festival, including the brass band of the Italian Community of Buie and the skillful flag-wavers Contrada Bastia of Noale (Venice). The participating groups included folklore groups such as Pastoria of Borgo Furo (Treviso, Italy), I Brianzoli (Ponte Lambro, Italy), the Zampognaro Lagaro cultural association (Trento, Italy), the Inovec (Zlaté Moravce, Slovakia), the cultural association Seljačka sloga (Nedelišće, Croatia), the folklore society Pazin, and local groups, as well as the Society of Montenegrins of Peroi “Peroj 1657” and the Italian Communities of Vodnjan-Dignano and Galižana-Gallesano.

The cultural association Seljačka sloga was awarded the prize for the originality and philological accuracy of their costumes, representing the diversity of the folk costume of the Međimurje area. The Brianzoli of Ponte Lambro won the prize for their outstanding use of popular instruments and musical performance. The folklore group Inovec from Zlaté Moravce, Slovakia, received recognition for their exceptional choreography and traditional dance. Lastly, the special “Leron” award was presented to the folklore group Pastoria del Borgo Furo (Treviso). The group was honored for their creative incorporation of theatrical elements that express everyday life stories in their performances of the “bal del pan” and the “bal del boter.”