Saint Matthew's Festival and Palio dei Mussi

A Patronal Festival with a Historical Soul

The Saint Matthew's Festival is the patronal feast of Riese Pio X, in the province of Treviso, the town that was the birthplace of Giuseppe Sarto, the future Pope Pius X. Around September 21st, Saint Matthew's Day, the town comes alive for days with food and wine stalls, music, and events, but the true heart of the festival is the Palio dei Mussi.

The Palio dei Mussi

Established in 1992 by the Pro Loco, the Palio commemorates the ascent of Cardinal Giuseppe Sarto to Monte Grappa on August 4th, 1901. The eight hamlets of the town parade in period costumes, staging scenes of daily life, ancient crafts, and traditional dances from the early 20th century. The actual race is the donkey race (the "mussi"): jockeys and amazons from the hamlets compete riding bareback, without saddles, in a special "mussodromo" (donkey track).

A Taste of Tradition: "Spezzatino di Musso"

The signature dish of the festival is "spezzatino di musso" (musso is the local term for donkey), a specialty of the region's humble tradition, served at the stalls alongside typical dishes from the Marca Trevigiana and wines from the Veneto region.

A Recognized Celebration

Organized by the Pro Loco Riese Pio X, the Saint Matthew's Festival with the Palio dei Mussi is an anticipated event on the Treviso autumn calendar, successfully uniting patronal devotion, historical re-enactment, folklore, and gastronomy into a single community celebration.