Fossano's illustrious past, documented since medieval times, boasts an abundance of important events dating back to the rule of the Acaja Princes, the governance of the Dukes of Savoy and the years of French supremacy. A past that is relived every year in the sumptuous re-enactment of the entry into the city of Duke Carlo Emanuele I and his bride Catherine of Hapsburg, the Spanish infanta.
The rulers were on their way to Turin, the last stop on their honeymoon. According to the chronicles, when they arrived in Fossano - on Thursday the 18th of July 1585 - they were caught in an extremely violent storm. This did not, however, stop the grand festivities held in honour of the ducal couple.
A celebration that is renewed every year in the Giostra de l'Oca, the traditional Palio dei Borghi, featuring the horse race, the archery tournament and the historical parades.
