San Domenico Savio Patronal Feast

A village festival spanning generations

The San Domenico Savio Patronal Feast is the most anticipated event in the Garino district, one of the villages within the Municipality of Vinovo, located in the province of Turin in the heart of Piedmont. Every year, towards the end of spring, the community gathers around the parish church on Via Sestriere to honor its patron saint with four days of celebrations that combine religious devotion with popular conviviality.

Origins in the 1950s

The festival has its roots in the 1950s, established through the efforts of the founding parish priest, Father Domenico Rota, and Cavalier Marcello Garino. Since then, the event has grown year by year, becoming a landmark not only for Garino but for all the surrounding districts. Today, it is organized by the A.S.D. Polisportiva Garino sports association in collaboration with the parish, supported by a committee of volunteers who keep this tradition alive.

Between the sacred and the secular

Like many Piedmontese patronal feasts, the Garino celebration has two sides. The religious aspect features a procession and a solemn mass in honor of San Domenico Savio, a young saint deeply dear to the Salesian tradition of the Turin area. The secular and community aspect includes evenings of live music, entertainment, presentations, awards for the sports association's athletes, and activities and games designed for children and families.

The Friendship Lunch and conviviality

The heart of the festival is the famous Friendship Lunch, which traditionally concludes the festivities on Sunday, bringing together the residents of Garino and the surrounding areas around the same table. Throughout the event, there are food stalls offering Piedmontese culinary specialties, from raw meat dishes and risottos to grilled meats, all in a genuine and welcoming village atmosphere.

Why it is worth attending

The San Domenico Savio Feast is the perfect opportunity to discover a small community in authentic Piedmont, far from the major tourist circuits. It is a festival designed primarily for those who have always lived there, but it is also capable of warmly welcoming visitors who want to experience the spirit of the patronal feasts in the Turin belt, where faith, sport, and conviviality merge into one great village event.