Celebrations for the 800th Anniversary of the Birth of Saint Amatus Ronconi

A Jubilee Year for the Patron Saint of Valconca

In 2026, the Municipality of Saludecio, a small hilltop village in the hinterland of the province of Rimini in Emilia-Romagna, is experiencing an exceptional anniversary: the 800th anniversary of the birth of Saint Amatus Ronconi (1226-1292), its patron saint and a key figure in local devotion. This is not the usual patronal feast, but an extraordinary choral celebration involving the communities of the entire Valconca and the Diocese of Rimini, with institutional, cultural, and spiritual events spread between May and June.

Who was Saint Amatus Ronconi

Amatus Ronconi was born in Saludecio in 1226. A tireless pilgrim, he traveled four times to the Sanctuary of Santiago de Compostela and transformed his home into a hospitale to welcome travelers heading to Rome: even today, that place retains its vocation of assistance, hosting a retirement home for the elderly. Beatified in the 18th century and proclaimed a saint in 2014, he rests in the Sanctuary dedicated to him, within the parish church, where his body is kept in an urn.

The 2026 Celebrations Program

The heart of the celebrations took place from May 7th to 10th, 2026. On May 7th, in the evening, a procession from the parish church to the Retirement Home preceded the Holy Mass in the square of Via dell'Ospedale and the naming of the space after Sister Clementina Zagari, with a musical interlude by Maestro Stefano Bartolucci and mezzo-soprano Daniela Bertozzi.

• May 8th (liturgical day of the saint): visit of authorities to the Sanctuary and the Museum of Sacred Art, presentation of the stamp dedicated to Saint Amatus with the first postal cancellation by Poste Italiane, solemn Holy Mass presided over by H.E. Msgr. Nicolò Anselmi, Bishop of Rimini.
• May 10th (central day): welcome of pilgrims at Porta Montanara, Mass with the band of San Giovanni in Marignano, diocesan pilgrimage and Holy Mass at the Sanctuary; in the evening, the musical opera Santo Amato. Il pellegrino delle stelle by Maestro Fabio Masini, with free admission.

Conferences, Exhibitions, and Pilgrimages

The calendar continued with a series of conferences for historical and spiritual in-depth study dedicated to the figure of the saint, Benedictine and Franciscan spirituality, and the Confraternity of San Jacopo di Compostella, until June 6th. On the key days, the Museum of Sacred Art, the Church of the Gerolomini, the Church of the Hospitale, and thematic exhibitions at the Verdi Theater were open to the public. To crown the strong connection with the Camino de Santiago, a group of pilgrims departed from the village towards Compostela.

Saludecio and Valconca

Included among the prestigious villages of the Rimini hinterland, Saludecio offers medieval alleys, arches, and a heritage of sacred art that lends itself well to slow discovery. The 2026 celebrations represent a unique opportunity to read the history of Valconca through the figure of a pilgrim saint who intertwines faith, hospitality, and the identity of the Emilia-Romagna territory.