The patron of Nizza Monferrato is Saint Charles Borromeo, celebrated on 4 November; at the start of the month the Fiera di San Carlo is also held.
The patronage springs from a precise episode: in 1613 the town, governed by Cardinal Ferdinando Gonzaga and allied with Spain, freed itself through fierce resistance from the troops of Carlo Emanuele I, Duke of Savoy. As a vow of thanksgiving a procession was instituted on the day of Saint Charles Borromeo, patron of the town ever since. Tradition says the lion defending the cross on the municipal coat of arms was adopted precisely after 1613, when the townspeople vowed to their patron for help in the defence. Today, on the second weekend of May, a historical re-enactment tells that siege: its first edition, for the 400th anniversary, was held in 2013.
