San Vitale Festival

San Vitale in Frascarolo

The San Vitale Festival is one of the most beloved spring events in the Municipality of Frascarolo, in the province of Pavia, in the heart of Lomellina. The festival is dedicated to Saint Vitalis the Martyr, co-patron of the town's parish church, which has been dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed and Saint Vitalis the Martyr since 1841. The festival takes place in spring, between late April and May.

Lomellina's Risotto

The delicious heart of the festival is the traditional free risotto tasting, a tribute to the rice-growing vocation of Lomellina, one of Italy's most important areas for rice cultivation. The dish, a symbol of Padan peasant cuisine, is offered to visitors as a gesture of welcome that tells the story of the territory's identity. The flavours and typical products of this generous land revolve around the risotto.

Markets and a Festival for Everyone

The festival enlivens Viale Vittorio Veneto and the surrounding streets with craft and local product markets, a travelling market, and games for children. It is a festival for all ages, combining the devotional aspect related to San Vitale with the popular and convivial spirit, in line with the tradition of village festivals in the Lombardy plain. An occasion for the Frascarolo community and visitors from neighbouring towns to gather.

Frascarolo, Land of Rice Fields

Frascarolo is located in Lomellina, the southwestern tip of the province of Pavia, a land of rice fields, castles, and villages with a strong connection to their roots. The San Vitale Festival offers visitors to Lomellina an authentic opportunity to discover the flavours of rice and the genuine soul of this corner of the Po Valley plain, at a time of year when the countryside awakens in all its beauty.