Our Lady of Mount Carmel Patronal Feast

The Patronal Feast of Villanova Monferrato

The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Patronal Feast is the most significant religious and social event of the year for Villanova Monferrato, a small town in the province of Alessandria located at the northern edge of the territory, on the plains left of the Po River. Each year, the town celebrates its patron saint, Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Madonna del Carmelo), a Marian devotion widespread throughout Italy and traditionally linked to the month of July.

When it takes place

According to the event calendar of the Municipality of Villanova Monferrato, the patronal feast is held on the third Sunday of July. It is a highly anticipated moment that marks the end of the first part of the summer in Villanova, following the gastronomic and dancing evenings of the Trapiantuma 'l ris in June and preceding the grand Batuma 'l ris in piasa in September.

Devotion and community

The feast combines spiritual reflection with conviviality. Alongside the liturgical celebrations in the parish church dedicated to Saint Emilian, the patronal feast is an opportunity for the entire community to come together: according to local guides of the Monferrato area, the festivities traditionally include dancing and food and wine initiatives, in the best tradition of Piedmontese village festivals.

Villanova, the land of rice

To fully understand the identity of this feast, one must know the town that hosts it. Villanova Monferrato has always been linked to rice cultivation: its most characteristic events, from Trapiantuma 'l ris to Batuma 'l ris in piasa, celebrate this agricultural vocation of the plains. The July patronal feast fits into this calendar of traditions, offering an authentic glimpse into the life of a village in the Monferrato region, a hilly and flat area of Piedmont recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its vineyard landscapes.

An event to experience

Visitors to Villanova Monferrato during the patronal feast will find the typical hospitality of small Piedmontese towns: a community that opens its doors around its square, its church, and its roots. It is the ideal opportunity to discover an authentic, off-the-beaten-path corner of the province of Alessandria, far from the crowds and close to the true soul of Monferrato.