Cuntrada dal Broeud

A neighbourhood tradition

Cuntrada dal Broeud — the broth district — is one of the most heartfelt and original traditions of Gallarate, in the province of Varese. It takes place in the Canton Sordo district, along Via San Giovanni Bosco, and is linked to the feast of the Madonna del Carmine, which falls on July 16th. The festival originated in 1948 and is rooted in the popular and peasant history of the neighbourhood.

The history of the broth

Tradition tells of a time of poverty, when workers from nearby towns could not afford to go home to eat, and for many, the only sustenance was a bowl of broth. An elderly woman from the district bought bones and meat scraps from the butcher and sold the broth to workers through a small shop run by Erminia Casati. From this gesture of popular solidarity, the rite that is renewed every year was born.

Devotion to the Madonna del Carmine

The statue of the Madonna del Carmine, originally borrowed from the church and later purchased thanks to a collection from the district, is located in Vicolo Volpe, where it still stands today. During the festival, it is carried in procession through the courtyards of the neighbourhood, intertwining religious devotion with the collective memory of the district.

Broth, rosary, and lottery

The heart of the festival is the recitation of the Holy Rosary in the historic courtyards, the blessing and distribution of boiling broth in commemorative cups, and the drawing of the lottery with tickets available through Pro Loco Gallarate. It is a festival that continues to bring residents — the brodari — together, keeping alive the historical identity of the neighbourhood despite changed economic conditions, and preserving the memory of the solidarity of the past.