Festa di San Giovanni Battista – Patrono di Robecco sul Naviglio

A patronal festival linked to water

The Festa di San Giovanni Battista is the most cherished event of the year in Robecco sul Naviglio, an elegant village in the province of Milan overlooking the Naviglio Grande, in the heart of the Ticino Park. San Giovanni Battista is the patron saint of the town, and his festival traditionally falls on the first Sunday of September, unfolding over three days filled with religious, sporting, and entertainment moments.

The rite of the beacon

The heart of Robecco's tradition is the rite of the beacon, renewed in the parish church of San Giovanni Battista: a cotton ball, suspended between two threads in front of the altar and topped with a cross and a palm, is set alight during the celebration, a symbolic gesture that links the community to the figure of the Baptist and its centuries of devotion.

The Cuccagna sul Naviglio

The most spectacular and photographed moment is the Cuccagna sul Naviglio: along via Ripa Naviglio, the famous greased pole is set up suspended over the canal's water. Contestants compete to reach the top, almost always ending with a dive into the Naviglio Grande, to the applause of hundreds of spectators crowded on the banks. It's a classic of Lombard waterside village festivals, here presented with the unique charm of the historic waterway.

White Night, funfair, and fireworks

The festival opens on Saturday evening with the White Night, which changes theme each year and animates the historic center with shows, dance performances, exhibitions, children's activities, and themed entertainment along streets and squares. In Piazza Madre Teresa di Calcutta, the funfair operates for several days. On Sunday evening, the sky above the Naviglio lights up with the traditional fireworks, while dinner under the marquee brings the entire community together.

Between sport and tradition

The program also includes the Strapasciata del Naviglio, a non-competitive race that crosses the village and its towpaths, and the liturgical celebrations on Monday in suffrage of the deceased. A festival that tells the soul of Robecco sul Naviglio and its history as a waterside town in the Milanese area.