Terlan is a world-renowned wine village. Throughout history, wine from the village of Terlano has been mentioned time and again. For this reason we celebrate the feast day of St. Urban – the patron saint of wine – in a special way each year since 2007.

Who was St. Urban?

Saint Urban is considered the most famous patron saint of winemakers, vineyards, wine, and coopers. In South Tyrol, he is venerated in many places—on house facades, on farmers’ flags, and in solemn processions. In art, he is usually depicted with a papal crown (tiara), a book, and a bunch of grapes or a chalice.

St. Urban’s Day – A key date for farmers

St. Urban’s Day falls on May 25, right after the Ice Saints, and that is no coincidence. The weather on this day was seen as a sign of the quality of the coming harvest. Numerous farmers’ sayings keep this belief alive. According to lore, if the sun shines on St. Urban’s Day, a plentiful harvest will await the farmers this year.

If the weather was bad however, the saint had to symbolically endure some hardship in earlier times: In some regions, his statue was doused with water instead of wine in protest—or symbolically “placed in a puddle.”

St. Urban’s Day in Terlan – the program

Every year on May 25, Terlan transforms into a huge wine festival. Here is the schedule:

7:00 a.m. Wake-up call by gun salute

5:00 p.m. Prayer and blessing for good weather in the courtyard chapel at the “Ansitz Köstenholz” Starting at

6:00 p.m. Wine tastings at three locations

Locations of the wine tastings

Wine tastings beginn at 6:00 pm at three historic farmsteads. Best reached by foot via the Kirchgasse, the Silberleiten- and the Margarethenweg. Parking opportunities at the main parking lot at the Haus des Apfels.

Kellermeister Hof – Kirchgasse 62
Kornell Winery · Stocker Winery

Ansitz Lehenegg – Kirchgasse 68
Von Braunbach Wine and Sparkling Wine· Gastkellerei Hochegg Winery (Breitenberg Leifers)

Ansitz Köstenholz – Margarethenweg 2
Terlan Winery · Kiemberger Winery · Leya Winery

Musical accompaniment: Musical accompaniment is provided by the SBJ Terlan- Vilpian-Siebeneich.

St. Urban and South Tyrol – A Living Tradition

Celebrations are not limited to Terlan. Around May 25, processions and celebrations take place throughout South Tyrol.

In Goldrain (municipality of Schlanders), the traditional St. Urban procession leads to the parish church in Tiss.

In Tschars, on Ascension Day, the enthroned statue of the saint—the so-called “Ferggele”—is solemnly carried around the Segenbühel.

And in Bozen’s Old Town, Saint Urban is present all year round: on facades at Kornplatz, under the arcades, and as the patron saint on the farmers’ banners during the Corpus Christi procession.