The Great Pier in Rovinj becomes the stage for a great collective memory this winter: from December 6, 2025, to January 10, 2026, the Ecomuseum – Ecomuseo Batana guides visitors through "Nadàl in famìa", a unique series of events reviving Rovinj's Christmas tradition in three languages – Rovinj dialect, Croatian, and Italian. The program is envisioned as a warm return to a home atmosphere and maritime heritage, with a series of workshops, lectures, and concerts, alongside the mandatory presence of those who bring holiday joy in the local imaginary: St. Nicholas, St. Lucy, Santa Claus, elves, and the Befana. At the center is the experience of community – both for the people of Rovinj and for all who will spend the holidays in Rovinj and its surroundings.

A forest of lights on the Great Pier and batanas

As an ambient framework, the Great Pier transforms into a fairytale "forest" woven with lights and holiday scents. In the harbor and along the coast, the batanas themselves will shine – small wooden boats that have become a symbol of the city and the heritage that the Ecomuseum systematically preserves and popularizes. Decorated with stars and Christmas trees, the batanas will create a scene at twilight that connects the sea and the holiday spirit. This visual motif has grown into a trademark of the winter experience in Rovinj in recent years, reminding us that local tradition is best read precisely on the sea – where it originated and survived.

Photographic exhibition returning family albums to public space

The program begins on December 6, 2025, at 18:00 with the opening of an exhibition of nostalgic Christmas photographs following family customs and city scenes from the 1930s to the present day. It is a collective album from which habits, clothes, decorations, and small rituals peek out, marking generations of Rovinj residents and everyone who visited the city during Advent. The exhibition is not just a sentimental reminder; it is a document of continuity – how tastes change, but the essence remains: home togetherness, kitchen scents, voices blending in song, the sea taking a breath in winter and accepting a new guise.

"Bibi" and the children's world: carousel, games, and imagination corner

In the museum gallery, "Bibi's Children's Corner" has been arranged, where the youngest can watch an animated film in the Rovinj dialect and play board games every day. The old carousel in the courtyard brings back that mechanical, charming rhythm of childhood – without screens and sound effects, but with an excess of imagination. Alongside the carousel, workshops on old games, handicrafts, and holiday decorations are held throughout December and at the turn of the year. Children encounter St. Nicholas, St. Lucy, Santa Claus, elves, and the Befana – characters who form a calendar of giving and kindness, but also a bridge between Croatian and Italian culture, which is naturally intertwined in Rovinj.

Workshops smelling of wax, flour, and cypress resin

The program carries a clear pedagogical line: workshops on wreaths ("Li ghirlànde"), candles ("Li candìle"), greeting cards ("La cartuleîna"), fritters and Rovinj bows ("Li freîtule e i fiùchi ruvignìʃi"), Christmas trees ("L’àlbaro da Nadàl"), and Befana's stockings teach participants how to create a decoration or a snack with a story from natural and home materials. This "holiday school" gathers all ages: grandmothers pass on tricks for fried snacks, while children shape wax or cut out stockings in which the Befana will leave candies on Epiphany for the first time. In this way, every visit turns into a tangible memory, and every detail into a story that can be taken home.

Small calendar of big days: from St. Nicholas to the New Year

Saturday, December 6, 2025, is dedicated to St. Nicholas: the ceremonial opening of the exhibition and program at 18:00 is followed by a musical performance by SAC-KUD "Marco Garbin" and CI-ZT "Pino Budicin", and "Bibi's Children's Corner" opens in the Ecomuseum. On Sunday, December 7, from 10:30 to 12:30, the performance of Duo "Viècia Ruveîgno" merges with a candle workshop. The following week, Friday, December 12 (18:30–20:30), belongs to Luciano Dandolo and wreaths, while Saturday, December 13 brings a morning meeting with St. Lucy – with cakes, old games, and candles – and a lecture on Rovinj Christmas tradition (17:00–18:00). On the same day in the evening, from 18:30 to 20:30, Trio "Viècia Ruveîgno" and face painting tailor a cheerful weekend peak.

Sunday, December 14 (10:30–12:30) combines a Christmas tree workshop and Luciano Dandolo's music. Friday, December 19 (18:30–20:30), is dedicated to making greeting cards, and Saturday, December 20, offers morning wreaths and an afternoon lecture "Christmas in the Sign of Art and Tradition: Bruno Mascarelli's Carousel" (17:00–18:00), followed by "old games" (18:30–20:30). On Sunday, December 21 (10:30–12:30), Nuove Quattro Colonne performs, alongside a Christmas tree workshop.

Christmas Eve, December 24, brings tombolas: from 16:30 to 18:30 a classic game, and immediately after (18:30–20:30) music by Nuove Quattro Colonne and a special tombola for children. On Christmas, December 25 (10:30–12:30), Le Cronache perform, Panettone and Pandoro are shared, and "Rovinj Christmas Carols" are also announced. St. Stephen's Day, December 26 (18:30–20:30), brings Luciano Dandolo back to the stage. Saturday, December 27, turns the morning into a small gastronomic workshop of fritters and bows (10:30–12:30), while in the evening (18:30–20:30) Duo "Viècia Ruveîgno" plays. On Sunday, December 28 (10:30–12:30), a greeting card workshop follows with Dandolo's performance. New Year's Eve, December 31 (10:30–12:30), is reserved for a joint brunch.

A new beginning with a toast and "Befana's" stockings

The first day of 2026, Thursday, January 1 (10:30–12:30), will be marked by Duo Brass and a New Year's toast. On Friday, January 2 (18:30–20:30), a workshop for making Befana's stockings and another musical meeting with Dandolo take place. Saturday, January 3 (18:30–20:30), brings back "old games", and on Sunday, January 4 (10:30–12:30), Trio "Viècia Ruveîgno" performs. Epiphany, Tuesday, January 6 (18:30–20:30), is filled with music by Le Cronache, face painting, and a Christmas cookie workshop, emphasizing the symbolism of the Befana – the "good witch" from Italian tradition who gives gifts to children. On Friday, January 9 (18:30–20:30), Nuove Quattro Colonne are up again, and the final Saturday morning, January 10 (10:30–12:30), brings a farewell performance by Le Cronache and closes the holiday circle.

Opening hours and visit logistics

The Ecomuseum, carousel, and Batana House are open every day from 10:30 to 20:30. In the "Children's Corner", there is a daily projection of the animated film "Bibi" in the Rovinj idiom, with free use of board games. Visitors planning a longer stay in Rovinj are recommended to organize accommodation in advance, especially for weekends and holidays when demand is increased.

Why does "Nadàl in famìa" have such a strong effect?

Holidays are, in both urban and family rhythms, a time for meetings and repeating good habits. "Nadàl in famìa" on one hand encourages a return to simplicity – making candles, baking fritters, cutting cardboard for greeting cards – while on the other hand, it restores the collective memory of the city. The exhibition of old photographs joins family archives to the public space, and workshops and lectures provide context: why Rovinj songs and chants are important, how they were created, where they were sung, in which languages. Through musical performances, local performers and bands also become guides through living heritage.

Batana: a symbol sailing between languages and generations

The batana as a vessel and as a cultural sign of the city intertwines the entire program. The Batana Ecomuseum is a bearer of best practices for preserving intangible heritage, and the Advent period specifically allows this fact to be experienced through light and encounters – in the harbor, on the coast, among visitors. Batanas decorated for the holidays create a unique scenography that cannot be "moved" elsewhere: it belongs to Rovinj and its waters, the place where the boat originated and where it is lived.

Rovinj trilingualism as a treasure

The ambiance of Rovinj is formed at the intersection of Croatian and Italian culture and the specific Rovinj idiom. That is why the names of workshops, songs, and lectures are often trilingual. This linguistic mosaic is not a decoration; it is the way heritage is transmitted – children learn an expression in Rovinj dialect, understand the Croatian name, and compare it with the Italian one. In this way, school, home, and street are connected, and tradition remains open to a contemporary audience as well.

Bruno Mascarelli's Carousel: art revolving around community

The lecture "Christmas in the Sign of Art and Tradition: Bruno Mascarelli's Carousel" (December 20) is dedicated to the prominent academic painter, who spent most of his life in Rovinj and deeply influenced the local art scene. Mascarelli's "Carousel" as a motif and as a symbolic theme evokes the image of a city revolving around people, meetings, and festivals – it is an artistic metaphor for Advent, but also a permanent reference of Rovinj culture. The mentioned program, located on the Great Pier and in the Ecomuseum space, proves precisely through the carousel and lights how much art can be a tool for togetherness.

Music as a common denominator

From ensembles of traditional music to smaller bands nurturing local repertoire, the "Nadàl in famìa" program dedicates a large space to music. Performances by SAC-KUD "Marco Garbin", CI-ZT "Pino Budicin", Trio and Duo "Viècia Ruveîgno", Le Cronache, Nuove Quattro Colonne, Duo Brass, and Luciano Dandolo are arranged so that each thematic unit has a sonic signature – whether it is the opening, the children's program, or the New Year's toast. In such an environment, the audience is not just a listener; they are also a participant who hums along, dances, participates in the tombola, or makes the instrument of their holiday evening themselves – a wreath, a candle, a greeting card.

Gastronomy: a sweet classic and scents evoking home

The Batana House offers a sweet holiday selection that rounds off the workshop cycle. Scents of fritters, crostoli (Rovinj bows), freshly baked cookies, and warm drinks spread across the Great Pier and join the sounds of music. On Christmas, Panettone and Pandoro are shared – Italian cakes that have long been domesticated in this area as well. Gastronomy here is not "additional content", but a source of emotion: flavors that bring back childhood, regardless of whether someone was born in Rovinj or returns to it every winter.

Tombola, brunch, and healthy rituals of togetherness

Christmas Eve tombola, brunch for seeing off the Old Year on December 31, and the New Year's toast on January 1 represent three rituals of togetherness connecting the calendar and the audience. Tombola gathers generations – children learn rules and the mathematics of numbers, older ones revive tactics and luck, and everyone together follows the excitement of the draw. Brunch is, on the other hand, an investment in the winter day working off the last hours of the year, while the toast marks a new circle – a fresh start in which the calendar of events continues briefly towards Befana's symbolism of giving.

Practical notes for the visit

The program takes place mostly in the open space of the Great Pier and in the Ecomuseum, and during the entire period, working hours are from 10:30 to 20:30. Families with children can plan their arrival in the morning hours, when workshops for the youngest are most often scheduled (10:30–12:30). For evening slots (18:30–20:30), it is advisable to arrive somewhat earlier to ensure a spot and time for viewing the exhibition. Visitors staying longer in Rovinj can combine the program with other Advent contents in the city, with the note that batanas – decorated and anchored – are a valuable but sensitive part of the environment, so respect in the space is mandatory.

Cultural context: from UNESCO practice to local idiom

The Ecomuseum Batana is recognized as an example of good practice in preserving intangible cultural heritage. But what the audience sees during "Nadàl in famìa" is even more immediate: how heritage is passed from hand to hand, from language to language, from generation to generation. The trilingualism of names ("Rovinj–Rovigno", "Natale in famiglia") is not protocol, but the living practice of a city that has always been open. This contributes to inclusivity: every guest, wherever they come from, can find a word close to them and a rhythm they understand.

Befana and the calendar of giving on the Adriatic

The character of the Befana – the "good witch" who leaves sweets in children's stockings on January 6 – is firmly rooted in the Istrian holiday cycle and naturally follows St. Nicholas. The "Nadàl in famìa" program incorporates workshops for making Befana's stockings and Christmas cookies, creating a bridge between toys, sweets, and stories that children retell later at home. The Befana thus becomes a pedagogical tool: through her, stories of kindness, gratitude, and the end of Christmastime are told to children.

Lectures: how custom becomes knowledge

There are two thematic pillars of the lecture part: "Rovinj Christmas Tradition" (December 13) and "Bruno Mascarelli's Carousel" (December 20). The first lecture explains how customs were shaped over time – from church rites to home rituals and street songs – while the second connects artistic heritage and city identity. Within the lectures, visitors learn how records, photographs, and oral tradition grew into an exhibition setup, workshops, and concerts, and why the Great Pier is the best stage to show it.

Who performs and leads workshops

The key to the program's success is in the people: performers and workshop leaders come from the community that has been nurturing local music and handicraft skills for decades. SAC-KUD "Marco Garbin" and CI-ZT "Pino Budicin" preserve the sound of the city; "Viècia Ruveîgno" in duets and trios translates that sound into more intimate formats; Le Cronache and Nuove Quattro Colonne bring playfulness and polyphony; Duo Brass crowns the New Year's morning with warm brass; Luciano Dandolo intertwines workshops and the concert experience with his performances. Every performance is also a small guide through heritage, and every workshop – a practical lesson leaving a trace in the hands.

How to get the most out of the visit

Families with children can combine the program into a "double rhythm": morning workshop (10:30–12:30) + evening music slot (18:30–20:30), with a break for a walk along the decorated batanas and a sweet stop at the Batana House. Photographers and visual story lovers are recommended to arrive in the late afternoon, when lights and reflections create the strongest atmosphere. Memory collectors should plan time for a thorough tour of the exhibition – shots from the 1930s to today open questions about everyday life, architecture, and customs of Rovinj worth writing down.

Schedule by dates (summary)

• 06.12.2025 (Saturday) – Opening at 18:00; music SAC-KUD "Marco Garbin" / CI-ZT "Pino Budicin", opening of "Bibi's Children's Corner", arrival of St. Nicholas.


• 07.12. (Sunday) – 10:30–12:30 Duo "Viècia Ruveîgno" + candle workshop.


• 12.12. (Friday) – 18:30–20:30 Luciano Dandolo + wreaths.


• 13.12. (Saturday) – 10:30–12:30 St. Lucy + old games and candles; 17:00–18:00 lecture on tradition; 18:30–20:30 Trio "Viècia Ruveîgno" + face painting.


• 14.12. (Sunday) – 10:30–12:30 Luciano Dandolo + Christmas tree.


• 19.12. (Friday) – 18:30–20:30 Luciano Dandolo + greeting card.


• 20.12. (Saturday) – 10:30–12:30 wreaths; 17:00–18:00 Mascarelli and "Carousel"; 18:30–20:30 old games.


• 21.12. (Sunday) – 10:30–12:30 Nuove Quattro Colonne + Christmas tree.


• 24.12. (Wednesday) – 16:30–18:30 tombola; 18:30–20:30 music + tombola for children.


• 25.12. (Thursday) – 10:30–12:30 Le Cronache; Panettone and Pandoro; thematic carols.


• 26.12. (Friday) – 18:30–20:30 Luciano Dandolo.


• 27.12. (Saturday) – 10:30–12:30 fritters and bows; 18:30–20:30 Duo "Viècia Ruveîgno".


• 28.12. (Sunday) – 10:30–12:30 Luciano Dandolo + greeting card.


• 31.12. (Wednesday) – 10:30–12:30 brunch for the Old Year.


• 01.01.2026 (Thursday) – 10:30–12:30 Duo Brass + toast.


• 02.01. (Friday) – 18:30–20:30 Luciano Dandolo + Befana's stockings.


• 03.01. (Saturday) – 18:30–20:30 old games.


• 04.01. (Sunday) – 10:30–12:30 Trio "Viècia Ruveîgno".


• 06.01. (Tuesday) – 18:30–20:30 Le Cronache + face painting + Christmas cookies.


• 09.01. (Friday) – 18:30–20:30 Nuove Quattro Colonne.


• 10.01. (Saturday) – 10:30–12:30 final performance Le Cronache.

Contact and organizer

The program organizer is the Ecomuseum – Ecomuseo Batana. Location of main events: Great Pier and Ecomuseum premises. For additional inquiries, visitors can get informed on the Ecomuseum's official channels. It is recommended to plan arrival earlier, especially on dates with concerts and workshops of greater interest, and coordinate the visit with the stay in Rovinj during the holidays.

Who is "Nadàl in famìa" for?

For families wanting a shared experience; for children who love creating with their hands; for photographers in search of light on the coast; for tradition lovers who want to understand Rovinj trilingualism and sound; for visitors seeking a peaceful, yet lively holiday atmosphere; and for everyone looking for an authentic sea experience in a winter coat in Rovinj.