San Tito Decennial Festival
The festival that happens once every ten years: in 2026, the grand centenary
About San Tito Decennial Festival
A Festival Unique in the World, Every Ten Years
The San Tito Decennial Festival is an exceptional event that Casorate Sempione, a municipality in the Province of Varese near Malpensa, celebrates only once every ten years, in years ending with 6. After 2016, the event returns in 2026 with a special significance: it is the centenary of the festival, which began in 1926. Its rarity makes it an event of strong emotional and identity value, awaited for an entire generation.
Origins: A Festival to Unite the Town
The tradition began in 1926, when Don Luigi Mariani conceived the celebration to mend a community divided between fascists, socialists, and Catholics, using devotion to Saint Titus as a social glue. The relics of the saint—a Roman deacon known for his charity towards the poor—had arrived in Casorate in the 17th century, but it was only with the 1926 festival that their popular veneration took shape. Since then, every ten years, the town pauses to honor its patron.
The Million Handmade Flowers
The most spectacular symbol of the festival is the paper and plastic flowers: thousands of flowers handmade by the inhabitants of the districts to decorate the 19 streets of the center. Crepe paper, recycled plastic, dyed nylon stockings, foil, and every possible material are used, in a collective effort that begins at least two years before the event. The entire town, district by district, transforms into a hub of creativity and community.
Cannon Shots, Processions, and Risotto
The program alternates religious moments and popular festivities over ten days of celebrations. Cannon shots officially inaugurate the festival, solemn processions carry the urn with Saint Titus's relics through the streets, while concerts, shows, cabaret, and fireworks liven up the evenings. The unmissable risotto feast served in the square is the symbolic dish of Casorate's conviviality. The 2016 edition attracted about one hundred thousand visitors to a town of five thousand inhabitants, testifying to the extraordinary appeal of this decennial festival in the Varese region.
San Tito Decennial Festival — edition 2026
The 2026 edition of the San Tito Decennial Festival is one of the most anticipated ever: it marks the centenary of the event, which began in 1926, and represents the eleventh edition. From September 5th to 15th, for about ten days, Casorate Sempione is transformed by its neighborhoods, adorned with over a million handmade paper and plastic flowers crafted over two years of preparation. Cannon blasts officially open the festival, solemn processions carry the urn containing the saint's relics through the streets, and the program alternates between religious observances, concerts, cabaret, performances, fireworks, and the traditional risotto feast in the square.
Programme San Tito Decennial Festival 2026
The detailed day-by-day program for the centenary has not yet been released: it will be published by the parish and the neighborhood committee in the weeks leading up to the event via official channels (Pro Loco, Municipality of Casorate Sempione, and the "Festa San Tito" Facebook page). We will update it as soon as it becomes available.
By tradition, the festival opens on the Saturday of the first weekend at noon with cannon blasts (in 2026, eleven shots for the eleventh edition). Throughout the ten-day event, the 19 streets of the town center are decorated by the neighborhoods with over a million handmade flowers, while the schedule is filled with solemn masses, processions featuring the urn of San Tito's relics, concerts, performances, cabaret, fireworks, and the grand risotto feast in the square.
Highlights San Tito Decennial Festival 2026
Prices San Tito Decennial Festival 2026
Practical information — San Tito Decennial Festival
When
From September 5th to 15th, 2026 (this festival takes place only once every ten years).
Where
Historic center of Casorate Sempione (VA) and the Church of San Tito.
Costs
Free admission to the celebrations and district decorations. Some gastronomic activities require payment.
How to get there
By car via the A8 motorway (exit towards Gallarate/Sesto Calende) or the SS33 del Sempione road; the town is just a few minutes from Malpensa Airport. The nearest train stations are Gallarate or Sesto Calende.
Tip
As this is a decennial event with high attendance, it is advisable to plan your visit and any potential overnight stay in the Varese area well in advance.
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Where does it take place — San Tito Decennial Festival
Centro di Casorate Sempione e Chiesa di San Tito
Centro storico, 21011 Casorate Sempione