Feast of the Most Holy Piety

Every year, on January 7, Cannobio dresses itself in faith, light and tradition to celebrate one of the oldest and most heartfelt religious events on Lake Maggiore: the Feast of the Most Holy Piety, also known as the Lumineri Festival. The occasion commemorates the miracle that occurred in 1522, when a small painting on parchment, depicting Christ in Pieta, mysteriously began to bleed in the tavern of the Zaccheo family. Over the next few days, a small bleeding rib emerged from the Christ’s wounds, now kept as a relic in the Collegiate Church of San Vittore.

On the evening of Jan. 7, the lights of Cannobio are turned off, leaving the village immersed in an intimate and mystical atmosphere: thousands of candles lit along the streets accompany the Lumineri procession, which starts from the collegiate church after the solemn mass and winds its way to the Shrine of the Santissima Pietà, where the miracle took place. The following day, the celebrations continue with a second solemn mass and the ascent of the Holy Rib in procession.

Alongside the deep spiritual significance, the festival also preserves a gastronomic tradition: the “Luganighe Feast,” with simple and tasty dishes served in local restaurants- luganighe with potatoes and cabbage, accompanied by noodle and bean soup-in homage to the original dinner at the inn where the prodigy occurred.

The Feast of the Most Holy Piety is a unique event, capable of uniting history, devotion, and community, and each year it lights up the banks of the Verbano with excitement.