Stonemasons Festival at the Sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso

A festival born from stone

The Stonemasons Festival is held every year on August 16th in Boleto, a district of the municipality of Madonna del Sasso in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in the heart of the Piedmont region overlooking Lake Orta. Established in 1986 by the local administration, the festival was created to honor the master stonemasons who, for nearly 150 years, quarried and worked the prized granite of these mountains, exporting it throughout Italy and beyond.

The sanctuary on the rocky spur

The heart of the day is the Sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso, an 18th-century Baroque masterpiece built in a spectacular position on a rock spur overlooking Lake Orta. The Greek-cross plan church was erected starting in 1725 based on a design by the painter-architect Lorenzo Peracino and houses a precious Pietà by Fermo Stella da Caravaggio. From the square in front, the view embraces the entire Cusio basin: it is one of the most evocative viewpoints in Piedmont.

The day's program

The festival comes alive with a solemn Mass celebrated in the sanctuary, followed by a short procession to the Stonemason Monument, where the quarry workers are remembered and the Mayor speaks. The day continues with a large community lunch in the village streets, prepared by the Circolo di Boleto, which gathers over a hundred diners including locals, hikers, and visitors every year.

The Stonemason Museum

A few steps from the sanctuary, in the village of Boleto, is the Stonemason Museum, which houses tools, artifacts, photographs, and documents regarding the lives of the granite workers. The festival is the ideal opportunity to visit it and understand the deep bond between this community and its stone, still visible in the Piazza degli Scalpellini and along the paths of the ancient quarries.

Faith, memory, and conviviality

The Stonemasons Festival is much more than a village fair: it is the moment when Madonna del Sasso rediscovers its identity, rooted in hard work in the quarries, Marian devotion, and a strong community spirit. For visitors, it is also a perfect opportunity to discover one of the most authentic corners of Lake Orta, far from the most beaten tourist paths.