One of the old masquerades of the Dolomites: in Dosoledo, in the Comelico, the Laké and the Matažin lead the procession, dancing to a polka passed down by ear. It is held on the Sunday closest to 9 February, in 2027 on the 7th.
Carnival matters a great deal in the Comelico, and in Dosoledo the main event is the maskarada of Santä Ploniä, Saint Apollonia, the village's patron saint. It is so bound up with the place that people in the neighbouring villages call the Dosoledo folk Chei d'Santä Ploniä, those of Saint Apollonia. It is held every year in the main square on the Sunday closest to 9 February, the saint's feast day.
Two masks lead the procession, the Laké and the Matažin. Their costume and manner are fixed by tradition: they wear a very tall headdress, the calòta, covered in velvet and decorated with necklaces and brooches, and they open the dancing, leaping to a polka that is passed down by ear. Since 1953 they have been joined by the Matazèra, the poor counterpart of the Matazìn. A few steps from the square stands the row of tabiés, hay barns built one against the other.
In 2027, 9 February falls on a Tuesday, so the closest Sunday is the 7th: the date comes from this rule, as the 2027 programme has not been published yet.
Where Santa Plonia masquerade in Dosoledo falls in the Dolomites year, and what happens in the other weeks: Best time to visit the Dolomites: a month-by-month guide.
Good to know
- Admission: The sources mention no tickets: the masks dance in the main square of the village.
- The date of 7 February 2027 is worked out from the festival's rule, not announced: check it again in January on the Dolomiti Bellunesi tourist board page.
- Times and programme for 2027 are not published; the website of the «Chei d'Santä Ploniä» association, cheidsantaplonia.it, was under maintenance on 11 and 14 November 2026.
- Dosoledo lies in the heart of the Comelico, 50 kilometres from Cortina d'Ampezzo according to the tourist board.
Official website (tickets & info) ↗
Dates, times and prices change every year: always check the official pages before you go.