Festival of Saint Anthony Abbot in Besozzo
Blessing of animals, bonfire, and fireworks in the Contrada Portaccia
About Festival of Saint Anthony Abbot
Saint Anthony Abbot in Contrada Portaccia
The Festival of Saint Anthony Abbot is one of the most deeply rooted winter events in Besozzo, a municipality in the Province of Varese overlooking Lake Maggiore. It takes place in the charming Contrada Portaccia, in the historic center of Besozzo Superiore, in honor of the patron saint of animals and the farming world.
The Blessing of Animals
The heart of the festival is the blessing of animals, an ancient rite linked to the figure of Saint Anthony Abbot: on Sunday morning, a traditional procession heads to the church dedicated to the saint, where domestic and working animals are blessed. The main day continues with takeaway food, children's entertainment, equestrian activities with pony rides and saddle baptism, and a craft market.
Fireworks, Torchlight Procession, and Bonfire
The grand finale is in the evening: at 9:00 PM, a fireworks display lights up the contrada's sky, followed by the torchlight procession and the lighting of the traditional bonfire, accompanied by music from the Besozzo Philharmonic. The festival is organized by the Contrada Portaccia Amici di Sant'Antonio along with the Municipality of Besozzo and the Parish, with contributions from local associations.
Festival of Saint Anthony Abbot — edition 2026
The 2026 edition offers three days of celebration in Contrada Portaccia. It opens on Friday the 16th with mass, culminates on Sunday the 18th with the blessing of animals, takeaway food, and entertainment, and closes in the evening with fireworks, a torchlight procession, and bonfire accompanied by the Besozzo Philharmonic. In case of bad weather, it will be postponed to Monday, January 19.
Programme Festival of Saint Anthony Abbot 2026
Friday, January 16
- 8:30 PM — Holy Mass in the church dedicated to the Saint
Sunday, January 18 (Main Day)
- 11:00 AM — Traditional procession towards the Church of Saint Anthony
- 11:00 AM — Blessing of animals
- 12:00 PM — Opening of the takeaway food service
- 2:30 PM — Moment of prayer in Portaccia and balloon launch
- From the afternoon — Pony rides and saddle baptism, piñata game, craft market, free entertainment
- 9:00 PM — Fireworks display
- Following — Torchlight procession and lighting of the bonfire with the Besozzo Philharmonic
In case of bad weather, postponement to Monday, January 19.
Highlights Festival of Saint Anthony Abbot 2026
Prices Festival of Saint Anthony Abbot 2026
Practical information — Festival of Saint Anthony Abbot
When
January 16-18, 2026 (postponed to January 19 in case of bad weather). Main day: Sunday, January 18.
Where
Contrada Portaccia, Besozzo Superiore (VA).
Cuisine
Takeaway food service: polenta with stew and sausage, polenta with Gorgonzola cheese, tripe, beans with pasta in the Besozzo style, Amatriciana sauce. Reservations by January 15 at Alimentari Cattaneo in Besozzo Superiore.
How to get there
By car from the A8 Milan-Varese highway, then SS629 towards Besozzo. By train to Besozzo on the Laveno-Varese line.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Noticed an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every proposal is verified by our team before publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Where does it take place — Festival of Saint Anthony Abbot
Contrada Portaccia, Besozzo Superiore
Contrada Portaccia, 21023 Besozzo