Religious Celebrations

St. Blaise - San Biagio is the Rocca Priora co-patron, together with St. Rocco, and the festival is very important to the population.

The story tells that the two saints freed Rocca Priora from the plague and the population made a vow to dedicate to them two festivals: February 3 for San Biagio and 16 August for San Rocco.

San Biagio was an Armenian bishop of the third century and was a physician and healer.

Today he is the protector of the throat and during the mass dedicated to him they bless the throats of all the faithful.

Rocca Priora Festa SantAntonio - 8

Rocca Priora is famous for the presence of horse farms and riding schools and the animals have been an important part of the local economy.

The day of St. Anthony (January 17) repeats the ancient tradition of the blessing of the animals in front of the churchyard of the parish church and there are floats that parade through the streets of the town.

Anthony was an Egyptian who lived in the second century and is the patron saint of animals and butchers.

He is considered the first monk, who inspired Saint Benedict to found monasticism in Europe.

Paliano- Chiesa Collegiata di SantAndrea by Benedicta Lee

On 30 November in Paliano the patron saint day of the city is celebrated with the Feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle of Jesus, a saint revered by both the Catholic and Orthodox churches.

Andrea is the protector of sailors and of all Scotland, Russia, Romania, Ukraine and Greece. He died tied to an X-shaped cross which today is commonly called the 'St. Andrew's Cross'.

In Paliano, religious celebrations include a solemn mass in the Collegiate Church of Sant'Andrea Apostolo and a procession along the streets of the city.

On this feast day, stalls fill the historic center and a market takes place along the streets of the center.

From 8 December to 6 January, the alleys of the old town of Serrone come alive with an ethnographic series of life-size nativity scenes that show Christmas scenes and scenes of work of the last centuries.

It is the longest of the Lazio Presepe and has over 150 costumed characters organized into forty different scenes.

The first performance was in 1997 thanks to the interest by a theatrical set designer, Santi Migneco, who wanted to convey to young people the story of the life of Serrone.

Since then, a voluntary association has taken care of the Presepe and the whole set-up around the town.

The celebrations culminate on January 6th with the arrival of the Magi and the Befana, a special Italian character of an old woman who gives sweets to good children and coal to bad children.

The costumes of the Magi were made by a famous designer of theatrical costumes, Beatrice Minori, who created the Costume Museum in Serrone.
 

The feast of the Queen of Peace takes place in Serrone on Mount Scalambra the first Sunday of August.

The festival is linked to the Premio Internazionale per La Pace Beato Paolo VI (Pope Paul VI).
 

Religious celebrations become a festival in Serrone on the occasion of the day dedicated to St. Michael Archangel.

It starts with a pilgrimage to the sanctuary the weekend before September 29th.

On the day of the celebrations after the solemn mass the statue of the saint is carried in a procession accompanied by the band playing hymns.

The evenings are enlivened by food and wine stands with music and live shows and end with spectacular fireworks.

On Sunday there are popular games in Piazzitella (small town square) and a sport events.

In Sgurgola on 6 November the Feast of the patron saint Leonard (San Leonardo) is celebrated with a solemn mass and a procession through the streets of the town.