Saint Giuliana Patronal Feast

A patronal feast in the heart of the Novara plains

The Saint Giuliana Patronal Feast is the most anticipated event of the year in Borgolavezzaro, a town in the Province of Novara, Piedmont, on the border with the Lombard Lomellina. Every February, the town pauses to honor its patron saint, Saint Giuliana of Nicomedia, a martyr of the early centuries of Christianity whose liturgical feast day falls on February 16th. It is a tradition that unites generations and, beyond its religious significance, has become a moment of strong civic identity for the entire community.

Between solemn liturgy and popular rites

The spiritual heart of the festival is the parish church, where the urn containing the saint's relics is displayed in the days leading up to the feast, accompanied by daily masses, meditative rosaries, and moments of Eucharistic adoration. The celebration often coincides with the World Day of the Sick, featuring a mass and the anointing of the sick. On the Sunday of the patronal feast, the solemn mass attracts worshippers not only from Borgolavezzaro but from the entire Novara territory and the nearby Lomellina, a testament to a devotional bond that transcends municipal borders.

The civic dimension: putting youth at the center

Alongside the religious appointments, the festival has developed a strong civic component over the years, hosted at the Teatro Scalfaro and in the council chamber. The most awaited moment is the presentation of the Italian Constitution to the town's new eighteen-year-olds, accompanied by academic awards for deserving students. It is a ceremony that places young people at the center and, in recent years, has seen the participation of prominent institutional authorities, a sign of the importance the community places on this tradition.

Exhibitions and culture

The festival week is enriched with cultural initiatives: among these, the setting up of exhibitions at Palazzo Longoni, the town's exhibition space, which accompanies the festivities with displays dedicated to the local area and regional history.

A defining tradition

The Saint Giuliana Patronal Feast is much more than a religious recurrence: it is the moment when Borgolavezzaro rediscovers its sense of belonging, where families, associations, and volunteers work together to keep a deep-rooted tradition alive. For those visiting the Novara plains in February, it is the ideal opportunity to discover an authentic Piedmont, far from the most beaten tourist paths.