Feast in honour of Saint Luke the Evangelist
The procession of the painting from the Abeti Soprani woods to the village
About Saint Luke the Evangelist
Saint Luke and the Abeti Soprani woods
In Pescopennataro, in the province of Isernia, the feast in honour of Saint Luke the Evangelist is one of the most cherished events, deeply tied to the village's mountain landscape. According to legend, Saint Luke stopped here during his journey from Rome to the Holy Land: in his honour, an hermitage with a cave carved into the limestone rock and a modern church dedicated to the Evangelist stand in the Abeti Soprani woods.
The procession of the painting
The heart of the feast, traditionally held on September 10th, 11th, and 12th, is the procession of Saint Luke's painting. In the early afternoon, the image is taken from the chapel in the woods and carried on foot to the village gates, in the Preziosi area. At sunset, after the fireworks, the painting is escorted to the Mother Church of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, where it is welcomed with a Holy Mass. Among the traditional moments, there is a lunch of roast lamb in the woods, in the San Luca area.
The return to the woods
The devotion continues beyond the festival days: on October 18th, the liturgical feast day of Saint Luke, the painting is carried back in procession to its chapel in the Abeti Soprani woods. A ritual that tells of the indissoluble bond between the community of Pescopennataro, its saint, and the mountain that guards him, in the heart of the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise.
Saint Luke the Evangelist — edition 2026
For 2026, Pescopennataro renews the feast in honour of Saint Luke the Evangelist, scheduled for September 10th, 11th, and 12th. The saint's painting will be taken from the chapel in the Abeti Soprani woods and carried in procession to the village gates, in the Preziosi area; at sunset, after the fireworks, it will reach the Mother Church of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle for Holy Mass. Among the traditional moments, the roast lamb lunch in the woods is included.
Programme Saint Luke the Evangelist 2026
The detailed schedule of events for 2026 will be announced by the Municipality of Pescopennataro and the parish. The traditional structure of the feast includes:
- September 10-12 — Festival days with roast lamb lunch in the woods, in the San Luca area
- Early afternoon — Procession of Saint Luke's painting from the chapel in the woods to the village gates (Preziosi area)
- Sunset — Fireworks and procession to the Mother Church of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, welcome with Holy Mass
- October 18th — Return procession of the painting to the chapel in the Abeti Soprani woods
Highlights Saint Luke the Evangelist 2026
Prices Saint Luke the Evangelist 2026
Practical information — Saint Luke the Evangelist
How to get there
Pescopennataro is reached by car via the provincial roads of Alto Molise, in a mountainous area bordering Abruzzo. The nearest train station is Isernia. To reach the hermitage and the chapel in the Abeti Soprani woods, continue along the marked forest roads.
When
The feast is celebrated on September 10th, 11th, and 12th; the painting returns to the chapel in the woods on October 18th. For the updated program, it is advisable to contact the Municipality of Pescopennataro or the parish.
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Where does it take place — Saint Luke the Evangelist
Bosco Abeti Soprani e Chiesa di San Bartolomeo Apostolo, Pescopennataro