Celebrations in Honor of the Most Holy Savior

Bracciano's oldest festival

The Celebrations in Honor of the Most Holy Savior are among the most ancient and cherished traditions of Bracciano, a town overlooking the lake of the same name in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Lazio. Every year, on the first Sunday after Ferragosto, the medieval village surrounding the Orsini-Odescalchi Castle gathers around the image of the Savior in a festival that weaves together popular faith, peasant memory, and neighborhood identity. It is organized by the Rione Monti Association, founded in 1966 and officially established in 1972, which preserves and passes down this rite from generation to generation.

The legend of the discovery

Tradition, passed down orally by the inhabitants of Rione Monti — the maze of houses framing the castle overlooking the lake — tells that on August 18, 1584, a farmer discovered the diptych of the Most Holy Savior. While plowing his field with oxen, the animals suddenly knelt, and behind a large boulder, the man discovered the painted panels depicting the Savior enthroned and the Virgin Mary assumed into heaven. This episode gave rise to the legend of the Gara dei Solchi (Race of the Furrows), which commemorates the tracks left by the cart that transported the sacred image: a story that inextricably links the festival to the local agricultural heritage.

The procession of the sacred machine

The most anticipated moment is the procession of the effigy: a Baroque-style wooden processional machine containing reproductions of the sacred images is carried on the shoulders of about twenty porters in traditional attire, wearing white jackets and red sashes. The procession winds through the alleys of Rione Monti and the streets of the historic center, passing by the famous medieval castle, with various stops dedicated to meditation and prayer. It is a rite of strength, devotion, and belonging that sees the Bracciano community reconnect with its history.

A program that changes every year

In addition to the procession, the festivities include a program that varies from year to year: solemn masses celebrated in the Cathedral, performances by the marching band, traditional songs, a fireworks display to close the festival, and food stalls that enliven the village squares. The hub of the celebrations is Piazza Mazzini, also known as the Castle Square, where the procession and the highlights of the event converge.

A heritage of the lake district

The Most Holy Savior Festival has a value that extends beyond the borders of Bracciano: it is considered of vital importance for the entire lake area, as it preserves local culture and recalls the rural roots of the entire territory. For visitors, it is an opportunity to discover an authentic Lazio village, far from the beaten path, at one of the moments when its popular soul is expressed with the greatest intensity.