Saint George Patronal Festival in Collobiano featuring Mail Art

The Patronal Festival of Collobiano

Collobiano is one of the smallest municipalities in Piedmont: just over seventy inhabitants gathered around the Avogadro castle and the parish church of Saint George, in the rice-growing plains of the Province of Vercelli. The festival, which marks the community's calendar every year with religious appointments and moments of conviviality, is dedicated to Saint George, the village's patron.

The 2026 edition in the sign of mail art

The 2026 edition took on a special meaning, as it intertwined devotion to the saint with a broader artistic project. The highlight was a mail art exhibition titled 'Saint George and the Dragon – Simone Avogadro di Collobiano: the figure, the deeds, the territory – 700 years later', curated by Claudio Gadina based on an idea by Roberto Gianinetti. Mail art, a discipline that connects artists from all over the world through works sent by post, thus engaged with local history: the figure of Simone Avogadro di Collobiano, the village's medieval lord and a protagonist in the struggles between Guelphs and Ghibellines, was commemorated seven centuries later.

Two days of events

The festival took place over two days. On Saturday, the official inauguration opened the celebrations with the opening of the exhibition in the municipal multi-purpose hall and a historical introduction by Patrizia Vaccino; the evening was dedicated to the 'Il Pomofiore' singing competition at the Nuova California venue. On Sunday, after the solemn mass in honor of Saint George in the parish church, the afternoon concluded with the traditional lottery draw.

A village with an ancient history

Visiting Collobiano means discovering a corner of Piedmont that is off the beaten path but rich in memory. The Avogadro Castle, with its rare octagonal tower and Ghibelline battlements, and the 15th-century church of Saint George, which houses a painting from the school of Gaudenzio Ferrari, tell centuries of Vercelli history. The patronal festival is the ideal opportunity to experience the identity of this small municipality and the deep bond with the Avogadro family that shaped its history.