Sant'Albano Festival

The patronal feast of Riva presso Chieri

The Sant'Albano Festival is the patronal feast of Riva presso Chieri, a small town in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont. Celebrated annually around June 22nd—specifically on the Sunday closest to that date—the festival is one of the most cherished and identity-defining events in the Chieri region, masterfully weaving religious devotion with a unique heritage of folk traditions.

Sant'Albano, martyr of the Theban Legion

Sant'Albano, the town's patron, is venerated as one of the martyrs of the Theban Legion, the legendary corps of Christian soldiers who, according to tradition, were martyred under the Roman Emperor Maximian in the late 3rd century for refusing to perform pagan sacrifices. The evocative chapel of Sant'Albano is dedicated to him; this jewel of Romanesque architecture is located about a kilometer from the town center along Via Tamagnone. The building, with its distinctive semicircular apse, was erected in the 12th century, likely by monks from the Abbey of Breme, and still retains traces of its medieval origins.

The legend of the dog-drawn cart

The most fascinating and recognizable element of the festival is the procession of the cart pulled by dogs, which commemorates an ancient miracle attributed to the Saint. Legend tells of a farmer who, after heavy rains, was transporting a cart loaded with wheat sheaves along a muddy road. When the cart became stuck in the mud, the man began to curse and blaspheme. Sant'Albano, passing by, ordered him to unyoke the oxen and harness his two dogs instead, which immediately freed the heavy cart from the mire.

The Massari, the halberds, and the stranòt

The organizational heart of the festival lies with the Massari, the traditional figures who safeguard the celebration. On the steps of the chapel, the characteristic exchange of the halberds takes place between the outgoing and incoming Massari, a symbolic gesture that ensures the continuity of the tradition. Riding on the cart is the massè cit, a child who recites the stranòt (or strambotti), rhyming compositions in the Piedmontese language that represent the most genuine and popular soul of the festival.

Band music, fireworks, and the bal dla carità

The procession, accompanied by the local brass band, departs at dawn from the parish church and the town hall to reach the chapel, where a solemn mass is celebrated. The evening before the festival is enlivened by a fireworks display accompanied by the band's music and the recitation of the strambotti. The celebration concludes with everyone joining hands for the bal dla carità and the brando, ancient folk dances that unite the community in one great celebration.

A heritage to discover

Visiting Riva presso Chieri during the Sant'Albano Festival means immersing yourself in an authentic Piedmont, defined by rural rites, devotion, and collective memory. The town, birthplace of Saint Dominic Savio, welcomes residents and visitors every year to an event that, edition after edition, continues to pass down the timeless charm of its ancient roots.