Madonna Incoronata Patronal Feast

The Patronal Feast of Varallo

The Madonna Incoronata Patronal Feast is the most cherished religious and civic event in Varallo, the historic capital of the Valsesia valley, located in the Province of Vercelli in the heart of north-eastern Piedmont. It is celebrated annually on the Monday after Pentecost, a movable date tied to the liturgical calendar. The day's protagonist is the Blessed Virgin Incoronata, the city's patron saint, venerated in her sanctuary inside the Collegiate Church of San Gaudenzio, in the town center.

A devotion born from the plague

The origins of the feast date back to the 17th century. Varallo was miraculously spared from the terrible plague epidemic of 1630, and to fulfill a vow made to the Madonna, the population commissioned a votive statue: a gilded and painted wooden effigy depicting the Immaculate Conception, attributed to the local artist Bartolomeo Ravelli and created in 1631. The statue was solemnly crowned in 1633, giving rise to the dedication to the Madonna Incoronata. A third coronation in 1933 confirmed the proclamation of the Blessed Virgin Incoronata as the patron saint of Varallo.

The day's program

The feast is structured into two main parts, following a tradition consolidated over generations:

• Morning - A solemn Mass is celebrated in the Collegiate Church of San Gaudenzio, gathering the faithful around the figure of the Madonna Incoronata.
• Afternoon - The venerated effigy is carried in a procession along the main streets of the historic center, accompanied by local brotherhoods, civil authorities, families, and parish groups.
• Music - The procession is marked by the notes of the Varallo City Band, which has always accompanied the parade.

A bond between faith and community

The Madonna Incoronata Feast represents much more than a religious anniversary: it is a moment when Varallo reaffirms its bond with its patron saint and its identity as a community. The procession, the fruit of centuries of popular devotion, brings together residents of all ages and welcomes pilgrims and visitors who travel to the Valsesia, a land also famous for the nearby Sacro Monte di Varallo, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The feast thus intertwines the spirituality, history, and folklore of an alpine territory that has managed to preserve its most authentic traditions.