Celebrations in Honor of Saint Lawrence the Martyr

The patronal feast of Cesenà

In the heart of the Abruzzo summer, the small hamlet of Cesenà — one of the ancient villages that make up the Municipality of Campli, in the Province of Teramo — gathers around its patron saint for the Celebrations in Honor of Saint Lawrence the Martyr. It is one of those village festivals that tell the most authentic story of the Teramo hinterland: an appointment awaited all year round, bringing together residents, locals returning for the holidays, and visitors from nearby towns.

An ancient village and its church

Cesenà stands at an altitude of about 199 meters, just a few kilometers from the historic center of Campli, a village included among The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy. The heart of the festival is the Church of Saint Lawrence, of medieval origin: sources cite it as early as 1277, when the locality was known by the name Cesenano. The building we see today retains the layout of the 18th-century renovation, with a gable roof, a simple facade, and a characteristic bell gable supporting two bells. Inside, with a single nave and apse, it houses a holy water stoup with the date 1512 engraved and a 17th-century painting.

Civil and religious festivities

The festival combines the religious dimension — with liturgical celebrations, solemn mass, and the procession of the saint's statue through the village streets — and the civil one, featuring music, shows, food stalls, and moments of social gathering that continue throughout the August evenings. The organization is passionately managed by the Gli Amici di Cesenà association, which renews the event every year by involving the entire community.

When it takes place

The festivities are traditionally held around August 10th, the feast day of Saint Lawrence: in recent editions, the festival has focused on August 8th, 9th, and 10th. It is the ideal opportunity to discover an off-the-beaten-path corner of Abruzzo, between the Teramo countryside and the nearby Adriatic coast, experiencing the hospitality and folk traditions of a small village that, for a few days, returns to being the center of a shared celebration.