From August 28 to September 6, Robbio, in the heart of the Lomellina, gets ready for one of the most heartfelt popular events in the province of Pavia: the Palio dl'Urmon, marking its fortieth anniversary in 2026. For ten days the town turns into one great open-air stage, with sporting challenges, historical re-enactments, live music and the traditional wheelbarrow race that closes the festival.

A centuries-old elm at the root of the tradition

The Palio's name already tells its story. "Urmòn", in the Robbio dialect, refers to a majestic, centuries-old elm tree that had towered in front of the church square for generations, becoming a true landmark for the community: births, weddings and funerals of several generations had all been marked beneath its shade. When the tree was felled in the early 1980s due to disease, the people of Robbio decided not to let its memory fade: in 1985 the Palio dl'Urmon was born, an event that every late summer pits the town's eight historic districts (rioni) against each other in a week of games, contests and re-enactments, culminating in the final challenge that crowns the winning rione.

Program of the 40th edition

Friday, August 28 – 5000 Corsa nei Rioni race (7:45 PM) and live music (9:00 PM)
Saturday, August 29 – 22nd Concorso Canoro singing contest (9:00 PM)
Sunday, August 30 – Arrival of the torch, lighting of the brazier and show in the square (9:00 PM)
Monday, August 31 – Capodanno Robbiese ("Robbio New Year"), "Palio Robbio Show – Our First 40 Years", fashion show and live music (9:00 PM)
Tuesday, September 1 – Carrioline, palla mattone, fa sü la tur (9:00 PM)
Wednesday, September 2 – Memory, barlitè, fa sü la tur (9:00 PM)
Thursday, September 3 – Bala an front, taglio del bicc, fa sü la tur (9:00 PM)
Friday, September 4 – Tris, tug of war, fa sü la tur (9:00 PM)
Saturday, September 5 – "Viva gli anni 90" music show (9:00 PM)
Sunday, September 6 – Procession and Holy Mass (10:30 AM), historical parade (4:00 PM), wheelbarrow race (6:30 PM), maxi paniscia (6:45 PM)

Districts, age-old games and the paniscia challenge

At the heart of the Palio are Robbio's eight rioni, which compete for a week in games rooted in rural tradition, from tug-of-war to taglio del bicc (log-cutting), to skill contests such as fa sü la tur (tower-building). But the most keenly felt challenge, even though it earns no points, is the one fought in the kitchen: each rione prepares large quantities of paniscia, the signature dish of Lomellina cuisine made with carnaroli rice, salame, lard and garden vegetables, slow-cooked with Barbera wine and served together with cotechino sausage to thousands of visitors. In recent years the event has also opened up to street food offerings, drawing an ever-wider audience.

The week closes the way it opened: with the whole community gathered together, this time around a shared meal, on the Sunday of the historical parade and the wheelbarrow race.

Getting there and what to see nearby

Robbio lies in the heart of the Lomellina, along the Via Francigena, a short distance from Mortara and its historic centre, from Castello d'Agogna and from the village of Palestro: an ideal area for combining the Palio with a day among rice paddies, castles and Romanesque churches. Nature lovers will find the Parco Naturale Valpometto just a few kilometres from the centre, a green oasis among the rice fields, perfect for a walk before or after the evening events in the square