591° La corsa dei buoi

The Corsa dei Buoi takes place every year on the occasion of the Patron Saint Festival of San Vittore of Asigliano Vercellese: an ancient tradition that combines faith, history and peasant culture. This event has its roots in 1436, when, according to legend, the patron saint San Vittore freed the town from a plague epidemic. Since then, the community has kept alive the vow made to the saint through religious celebrations and a race that has origins even further back in time. According to tradition, the oxen were used to bring votive offerings to the patron saint, a gesture of faith that, over time, became a competition with strong folkloric value. Today, this event represents an important symbol of devotion and belonging for the community of Asigliano Vercellese and the surrounding towns and even today the heart of the celebration is the race. On the eve of the race, the public auction for the allocation of the carts is held, a ritual full of emotion, in which participants make grain offers to win a place in the competition, often out of personal devotion. The day of the feast opens with the solemn mass and the procession with the statue of San