Procession of Saint Eldrado

A procession that spans the centuries

The Procession of Saint Eldrado is the most solemn moment of the religious year in Novalesa, a small town in the Susa Valley, within the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont. Every year, on the Sunday closest to the liturgical feast of March 13th, the community gathers to honor its patron saint with a procession that departs from the parish church of Santo Stefano and reaches the Abbey of Saints Peter and Andrew, one of the oldest monastic complexes in the Alps.

Who was Saint Eldrado

Saint Eldrado was a Provençal nobleman who, in the 9th century, chose the monastic rule of Novalesa, becoming its abbot during the abbey's golden age. Tradition attributes numerous miracles to him, including ridding the Briançonnais valley of snakes and assisting pilgrims in difficulty on Alpine passes. His relics are preserved in a precious silver urn, a masterpiece of goldsmithing, which is carried in procession protected by a transparent case.

The procession and its participants

The procession is a collective event involving the entire community and faithful from both sides of the Western Alps, from the Maurienne, the Dauphiné, and Savoy. Participants include:

• the priors of the confraternities, wearing their traditional robes;
• the Alpine troops and volunteers of the AIB Novalesa-Moncenisio, who take turns carrying the saint's urn;
• the Novalesa Brass Band and the parish choir, who enliven the route with hymns and music;
• religious and civil authorities.

The chapel and its frescoes

Upon reaching the monastic complex, participants walk through the grounds and descend to the Chapel of Saint Eldrado, opened for the occasion, where they can venerate the saint's relic. The chapel houses an extraordinary cycle of 11th-century Romanesque frescoes, considered one of the most precious artistic treasures in the entire Alpine region. The day concludes with Holy Mass in the abbey church.

A special anniversary

The celebrations take on particular significance in the context of the 1300th anniversary of the founding of the Abbey of Novalesa and the 53rd anniversary of the return of the monks, which occurred in 1972 when the complex was saved from decay. A unique opportunity to rediscover a place that weaves together spirituality, art, and the popular traditions of the Piedmontese mountains.