On 3 July every year, celebrations are held in honor of the patron saint of Chiusi: Santa Mustiola.

Lived in the third century, she was martyred by the Romans for having given help and support to Christian prisoners, declaring herself a devotee of the cult of Christ.

Most noble lady, perhaps a cousin of Emperor Claudius II, according to the legend she had arrived in Chiusi chased by soldiers, to escape from which, finding herself in front of our lake she had crossed it using her cloak as a boat, leaving a luminous trail that seems to reappear every year.

After her death, in 275, she was buried in the homonymous catacomb. The body of Santa Mustiola remained in the basilica above the catacomb until its demolition (end of the 18th century); today it is located in the Cathedral of S. Secondiano.

It is believed that Santa Mustiola also kept the so-called Holy Ring, the wedding ring of Joseph and Mary. The ring was initially kept in the church of Santa Mustiola for more than two centuries, then in the Cathedral of San Secondiano until 1420, when, due to internal disputes, it was moved to the Church of San Francesco. Here, in 1473, it was stolen and brought to Perugia by a monk from the convent of S. Francesco. This event led to clashes and conflicts that lasted about ten years (the so-called War of the Ring) between Chiusi and the Umbrian city, sedated only by the Pope’s intervention in favor of Perugia which was accompanied, in Chiusi, by the discovery of the body of the Saint. The ring is still kept in the Cathedral of Perugia.

It is these two legends that animate the patronal celebrations in the Etruscan city. On the night of July 2, the crossing of the lake is recalled and ends with the evocative fireworks on the Chiaro. On 3 July each year, the Fair in the historic center accompanies the numerous initiatives in memory of the Saint. The previous week, Chiusi is instead tinged with medieval colors, evoking the period of the War of the Ring. These are the days of the Tria Turris, a historical event centered on the Palio delle Torri between the three districts of the historic center and the Palio del Santo Anello, a challenge between archers.