Sagra di Santa Croce di Marnate

A tradition over sixty years old

The Sagra di Santa Croce is the most anticipated event of the year in Marnate, a municipality in the Alto Milanese region of the Province of Varese, bordering the industrious Lombardy that overlooks the Olona river. Born in the 1960s, the sagra (village festival) is much more than a local celebration: it is a collective ritual that intertwines devotion to the Holy Cross with the pride of feeling part of a community, that sentiment which the people of Marnate summarise with the dialect expression vess de Marnà, to be from Marnate.

Heart of the festival: the Area Feste

For five days, the Area Feste in Viale Lombardia becomes the town's living room. The Pro Loco's food stands offer traditional Lombard dishes, while the evenings come alive with live music, DJ sets, and dancing, ranging from 90s and 2000s hits to Latin sounds. There is also space dedicated to sports, with amateur tournaments and competitions, and the traditional cycling event that attracts enthusiasts from all over the area.

Faith, families, and community

The religious dimension remains the common thread: celebrations take place in the Parish Church of Sant'Ilario, keeping alive the link between the sagra and its original meaning. Sunday is dedicated to families, with creative workshops, games, dance performances, and activities designed for children, such as the junior firefighters' academy. The festival traditionally concludes with a fireworks display that lights up the Marnate sky.

The soul of the Pro Loco

Behind the organisation is the voluntary work of the Pro Loco Marnate, which involves dozens of people of all ages every year. It is this network of volunteers that makes possible an event that, edition after edition, continues to renew itself without losing its popular and family identity.