Celebrations in Honor of the Holy Crucifix (Holy Crucifix Festival)

The 2025 edition confirmed the extraordinary vitality of a centuries-old tradition. On August 1st, at dawn, the ancient Albanian song "O e bukurà Morè" resonated on the Montagna delle Rose, followed in the evening by the Cuccia Festival in Piazza Umberto I. The following days featured Divine Liturgies and Paraklisis chants of the Greek-Byzantine rite, the "Piazza in Festa" evening, and the Ferragosto processions. On August 16th, the solemn procession of the 1639 gilded wooden Vara of the Holy Crucifix, together with the statues of the Madonna delle Grazie and Saint Nicholas, crossed the historic center amidst great emotion, reuniting the locals and the many emigrants who returned for the occasion.