Feast of Saints Fabian and Sebastian

A devotion that spans centuries

In the heart of Valcuvia, at the foot of the Varese Prealps, the small municipality of Rancio Valcuvia — in the Province of Varese — preserves an ancient religious tradition: the Feast of Saints Fabian and Sebastian, celebrated every year on the last Sunday of January. The liturgical memorial of the two martyrs falls on January 20th, but the community renews the feast on the following Sunday to allow everyone to participate.

The patrons who stopped the plague

The devotion has its roots in a local legend: according to tradition, Saints Fabian and Sebastian preserved Rancio from the plague brought by the invasion of the Landsknechts. The phrase, passed down in dialect, according to which no one would die of the plague from that moment on, is attributed to them. The parish church dedicated to the two saints has existed since at least 1592 and houses their statues above the portal, with the inscription "DIVIS FABIANO ET SEBASTIANO".

A day of faith and community

The program follows the traditional pattern: on Saturday evening, the church is decorated and prayers are recited at the chapel of San Pietro; on Sunday morning, the solemn 11 AM Mass brings together the Confraternity of the Most Holy Sacrament and the parish choir; in the afternoon, the Rosary precedes the procession through the village streets, accompanied by the Arcisate band. Neighboring parish confraternities are present, along with a refreshment provided by the Alpine volunteers and a convivial moment in the square.

An authentic event

Far from major tourist events, the patronal feast of Rancio Valcuvia is one of those recurring events that tell the deep identity of the Lombard Prealpine villages: faith, the bond with history, and the sense of community of a town that comes together around its patron saints.