Patronal Feast of Saint Bernardino of Siena

Saint Bernardino, Patron of Roncadelle

In the Municipality of Roncadelle, in the province of Brescia, May 20th is a significant date. It is the day of the Patronal Feast of Saint Bernardino of Siena (1380-1444), a great Franciscan preacher and patron saint of the town, to whom the parish church is dedicated.

The origins of the celebration date back a long time: tradition traces them to 1451, when the Municipality of Brescia established May 20th as a local holiday in honor of the saint, who had recently been canonized. Since then, Roncadelle has continued to honor him every year on this date.

The Unchangeable Date

One detail illustrates the town's connection to its patron saint better than any other. In the past, Don Carlo Vezzoli had decided to move the celebrations to the nearest Sunday to encourage greater public participation. But, tradition tells, such a violent storm broke out that it was interpreted as a sign: the feast had to remain on May 20th. Since then, even when the anniversary falls on a weekday, the date is observed with devotion.

A Relic and a Community Story

The parish church of Roncadelle houses two altarpieces and a wooden statue depicting Saint Bernardino, as well as a relic of the saint, preserved since 2003. The patronal feast combines the religious dimension – with the procession and liturgical celebrations – with the more popular and community-based aspect, in a day that renews the collective identity of the town in Lombardy every year.