Celebrations in Honor of Our Lady of Sorrows

A Marian festival in the village of Casoli

The Celebrations in Honor of Our Lady of Sorrows are a devotional event renewed every year in late May in Casoli, a hillside town in the Province of Chieti, Abruzzo. The festival stems from the community's deep Marian devotion and takes place around the evocative Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, the town's main sacred building, which houses the statue of the Addolorata.

The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore

The heart of the celebration is the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, built in 1455 at the behest of the Orsini princes next to the ducal castle that overlooks the historic center. Expanded in the 18th century and restored after the earthquakes that have struck the Majella area over time, the church retains a three-nave layout with side chapels. Under the altar of the left nave are the statues of the Dead Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows, which are objects of particular veneration. This is where the liturgical moments of the festival are concentrated.

The Band parade and the procession

The program combines the religious dimension with the popular one. The protagonist is the Casoli Band, the town's historic ensemble, which opens the festivities by parading through the streets and alleys of the village with its repertoire. The music accompanies the community to the church, where the solemn Holy Mass is celebrated in honor of the Virgin of Sorrows. In past editions, the festival has also been enriched by evening musical and folkloric moments, with choral performances and events designed to bring residents and visitors together in the historic center.

A tradition of the Casoli community

Organized by the Parish of Santa Maria Maggiore, the festival of the Addolorata is part of the rich calendar of religious events in Casoli, a town also known for the patronal celebrations of Saint Reparata and Saint Gilbert in October, for the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in July, and for the Corpus Domini Flower Festival. The Marian recurrence of late May represents one of the most intimate and well-attended moments of the year, where Abruzzo's popular faith intertwines with the music of the band and the life of the village.

The festival is free to enter and takes place in the historic center of Casoli, between the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore and the streets leading up to the castle.