Castellare Festival in San Giovanni alla Vena

In 2025, the village of San Giovanni alla Vena, in the municipality of Vicopisano (PI), celebrated its Castellare Festival in early May. The festival, organized by the Parish and the Castellare Committee, opened with Mass at the Pieve and the Rosary in front of the Grotto of the Madonna in Castellare. The most anticipated moment was the evening with the procession through the village streets, led by Monsignor Paolo Paoletti, followed by the traditional torchlight parade toward the oratory on the hill and the grand fireworks display that illuminated the little church and the valley. The Sunday of the Holy Cross featured Masses in Castellare and at the Pieve, while the fair and social gatherings enlivened Piazza della Repubblica.