Festival of Saints Faustino and Giovita

The Festival of Saints Faustino and Giovita in Chiari

In the municipality of Chiari (Province of Brescia, Lombardy), the Festival of Saints Faustino and Giovita is the most cherished event of the year. The two martyr saints, also patrons of the city of Brescia, are celebrated in Chiari with three days of events that combine the religious dimension with the cultural and popular, involving the Cathedral, the historic center, and the main city locations.

Faith and Tradition

The heart of the festival is the Solemn Mass in the Cathedral, followed by the evocative release of the dove in hope of peace, a symbolic moment eagerly awaited by the people of Chiari. The religious celebrations are accompanied by performances of the city's bands and civic awards, with which the city honors its excellences.

Culture, Markets, and Carnival

The festival is also a great occasion for culture and fun: concerts, children's workshops, conferences, presentations, and awards liven up the city halls, from the Flavio Riva Auditorium to the Morcelli Repossi Foundation, from Villa Mazzotti to the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. The streets of the historic center fill with 59 stalls offering quality gastronomic and artisanal products, while on Sunday, the allegorical floats from the oratorians parade along the avenues for the carnival. A complete weekend that makes Chiari, for three days, the beating heart of Franciacorta.

Identity and Belonging

The Festival of Saints Faustino and Giovita is the moment when Chiari most strongly reaffirms its identity. The patrons, shared with nearby Brescia, are an integral part of Chiari's history and collective memory, and their festival becomes an opportunity to celebrate not only faith but also the sense of community and belonging. Amidst the sound of the bands, the aroma of the stalls, and the joy of the allegorical floats, the different souls of the city—religious, civil, cultural, and popular—come together. It is a festival that speaks to everyone, from the elders who preserve its tradition to the children experiencing it for the first time, renewing year after year the deep bond between Chiari and its saints.