Festival of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Palio delle Contrade

The patronal feast in July

The Festival of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the summer feast of the Municipality of Vellezzo Bellini, in the Province of Pavia, in the plain between Pavia and Milan. It is held in mid-July, around the liturgical feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on July 16th, and is organized by the Parish of Saints Bartholomew the Apostle and Nicholas the Bishop. It is a cherished event that has united the religious and community dimensions for decades.

Between rosary, procession, and community life

The religious program marks the days with the daily rosary, the solemn mass, and the procession through the village streets, alongside the more convivial part made up of dinners in the piazza, bar service with typical dishes, and evenings of music and dancing in the festival area.

The Palio delle Contrade

The most characteristic element is the Palio delle Contrade, established in 1990. The four districts of the village — Azzurri, Gialli, Rossi, and Verdi — compete in a series of games spread over several evenings, with the active participation of a large part of the community. The palio is awarded to the district that achieves the highest score and traditionally consists of a painting created by a local artist, displayed in the windows of the winning district until the next edition. Since 1998, the competition has been preceded by a historical costume parade, and since 2015, the involvement has also extended to the hamlet of Giovenzano.