Assumption Festival and Bell Tower Fire

The patronal feast of ancient Capua

The Assumption Festival is the most cherished event of the year in Santa Maria Capua Vetere, a city in the Province of Caserta, Campania. Every year, around August 15th, the community gathers to honor its patron saints: the Most Holy Virgin of the Assumption and Saint Symmachus the Bishop. For a few days, the city center is transformed: illuminations decorate the main streets, market stalls fill the Via Righi area, fairground rides occupy the Villa Comunale, and thousands of residents—and former residents returning for the holidays—flock to the streets.

The Bell Tower Fire, the most awaited moment

The heart of the festival is the Incendio del Campanile, held in Largo Matteotti, the square in front of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore. It is not a real fire, but a fifteen-minute pyromusical show: fireworks and light effects climb the bell tower, accompanied by music, culminating in the ascension of the statue of the Virgin of the Assumption. It is a deeply rooted tradition that draws a massive crowd every year and always concludes with a long round of applause. Those wishing to get a good view should arrive very early, as Largo Matteotti and the streets surrounding the Cathedral fill up by early afternoon.

Devotion and public celebration

The program has always balanced two aspects: the religious and the popular. The devotional side includes:

• The Solemn Holy Mass in the Cathedral, presided over by the Archbishop of the Diocese of Capua;
• The solemn procession of the Patron Saints through the city streets;
• Morning performances by the marching band, which travels through the center to announce the festival.

On the secular side, Piazza Mazzini becomes the stage for evening entertainment, featuring cabaret, Neapolitan music, and concerts by well-known artists, while the final evening concludes with a second pyromusical show, which in recent years has been held in the area of the Campanian Amphitheatre.

A unique archaeological setting

Santa Maria Capua Vetere stands on the site of ancient Capua, one of the most important cities of the Roman world. The Campanian Amphitheatre, second in Italy in size only to the Colosseum, and the Mithraeum with its frescoes make the city a premier archaeological destination. The patronal feast offers the perfect opportunity to combine a visit to these monuments with the experience of a living tradition. The connection to the gladiatorial ludus where Spartacus trained is one of the elements that most fascinates foreign visitors.

Flavors and customs of the festival

The festival is linked to small local customs, such as the Assumption taralli, traditional sweets that the municipal administration has revived in recent years with tastings offered by local bakeries; in the past, they were a symbolic gift between fiancés. Around the squares, there is no shortage of food stands, nougat, peanuts, and typical products of the Terra di Lavoro region, from buffalo mozzarella to local Casertan pastries.

When it takes place

The Assumption Festival is traditionally held in mid-August. In the 2025 edition, the calendar ran from August 13th to 17th, with the Bell Tower Fire on the evening of the 14th. The program is defined each year by the Municipality of Santa Maria Capua Vetere in collaboration with the festival committee and is made public in the preceding weeks, usually through the city's official channels and the local Caserta press.