Saints' Festival in Centrale di Zugliano

A Festival in the Midst of Lent

The Saints' Festival is the traditional feast of Centrale, an ancient hamlet of the Municipality of Zugliano, in the province of Vicenza. It is held every year on the third Sunday of Lent, a fact that makes it an almost unique case in the Veneto region: a village festival placed in the heart of the penitential period, a concession granted precisely because of the strong devotional bond that links it to the Saints venerated in the village.

The Relics of the Saints and the Vow of 1891

The small village of Centrale, nestled at the foot of the Bregonze hills at just over 170 meters above sea level, houses a precious reliquary of the Saints in its parish church, which arrived here from the Camaldolese friars who had settled on the surrounding heights in the 17th century. When, with the Napoleonic suppressions in the early 19th century, the monks abandoned the monastery, the relics were entrusted to the community and kept in the parish church. The festival in its current form originated from a vow: in 1891, a measles epidemic severely struck the village, and the people of Centrale solemnly vowed their devotion to the Saints. After the relics were carried in procession, tradition has it, no one died in the village anymore. Since then, the festival has been renewed every year.

Three Days of Village Celebration

Today, the Saints' Festival retains its intimate and authentic dimension: it takes place in the premises of the former kindergarten in Centrale and in the village center, with a rich gastronomic stand open especially in the evenings and, on Sundays, also at lunchtime. You can enjoy traditional dishes from the Veneto and Bassano regions, in a community atmosphere far from the major tourist circuits. Alongside the convivial aspect, the religious moments linked to the veneration of the Saints remain central, with the parish church at the heart of village life.

A Village to Discover

Centrale is a small village with a medieval character, with houses built next to each other and connected by internal courtyards accessible through street-level arches. Visiting the Saints' Festival means discovering a lesser-known and genuine side of the Veneto, at the foot of the Bregonze hills, where popular traditions resist the passage of time. The festival is organized by the Centrale festival committee together with Pro Loco Zugliano.