Giubbiana of Gallarate

A Rite That Burns Winter

The Giubbiana, in dialect Gioeubia, is one of the most deeply rooted popular rites of Lombard tradition, and in Gallarate (province of Varese) it is renewed every year on the last Thursday of January. A large effigy — the old Giubbiana — is burned in a bonfire: the fire has a purifying and symbolic value, banishing winter, cold, and bad luck, and announcing the return of the warm season.

The Roots of the Tradition

The Gioeubia has its origins in the peasant culture of Northern Italy, where the burning of the effigy marked the symbolic transition from the darkness of winter to the light of spring. In Gallarate, the tradition is particularly felt: the city also boasts a famous precedent from 1998 recognized by Guinness World Records, a sign of how much this rite is part of the city's identity.

The Feast Around the Bonfire

In addition to the central moment of the burning, the evening keeps its convivial soul alive with the distribution of risotto and luganiga, the dishes that have always accompanied the feast. It is an occasion for the community to gather, coming together around the fire in a moment described by the organizers themselves as much-loved and capable of uniting the city.

An Itinerant Festival Among the Districts

The event takes place in the districts and hamlets of Gallarate, on a rotating basis, involving the different city communities each time. Pro Loco Gallarate oversees the organization, keeping alive a tradition that connects generations and tells the popular identity of the Alto Milanese area.