Festa della Beata Vergine delle Grazie

The sagra of San Quirico

In Brenta, a Municipality in the Province of Varese at the foot of the Prealps, the Festa della Beata Vergine delle Grazie is the sagra that enlivens the hamlet of San Quirico every September. The festival celebrates the feast dedicated to the Madonna venerated in the Sanctuary of the Beata Vergine delle Grazie, an ancient place of worship linked to the church of Saints Quirico and Giulitta.

The Palio della Rosa

The heart of the event is the Palio della Rosa: the town's districts compete in a contest that runs throughout the summer, from June to September, culminating during the festival with the winning of the Golden Rose to be offered to the Madonna. It is a deeply felt tradition, which fuels healthy rivalry between the neighbourhoods and involves the entire community in the preparations.

Gastronomy and community

During the festival, the San Quirico park is filled with food stalls offering typical dishes, games, and entertainment for all ages. The sagra is organized in synergy between the Pro Loco Brenta, the San Quirico Festa Committee, and the Municipality, in a collaborative model that makes the event participatory and rooted in the territory.

Varese faith and tradition

The Festa della Beata Vergine delle Grazie intertwines the religious dimension — Marian devotion and the sanctuary — with the civil and popular aspects of the Palio and the sagra. It is an example of how, in the towns of the Province of Varese, the patronal feast remains a fundamental identity moment, capable of bringing together generations and districts in the name of tradition.