Feast of Maria SS. Immacolata

The most anticipated event of the Montecelio summer

As August draws to a close, the village of Montecelio undergoes a transformation. The steep streets leading up to the fortress are adorned with lights, balconies are decorated, and the community prepares for the Feast of Maria SS. Immacolata, the event that has marked the end of the local summer for generations. This is not a food festival or a manufactured event; it is an authentic village feast, born from popular devotion and grown into an occasion that draws visitors from across the Aniene Valley and the Tiburtine area.

Where: the village of Montecelio

Montecelio is one of the souls of the Guidonia Montecelio municipality in the Lazio region, just a few kilometers from Tivoli and about thirty from Rome. Perched on a hill at nearly 400 meters, it retains an intact medieval layout: narrow alleys, arches, stairways, and at the top, the remains of the fortress offering views that stretch across the Roman countryside. It is in this setting that the festivities take place, with religious services in the parish of San Giovanni Evangelista and secular events in the squares of the historic center.

Faith and devotion

The heart of the event remains religious. The days leading up to the feast are marked by the triduum of preparation, while the final Sunday is dedicated to solemn processions with the venerated image of Maria SS. Immacolata carried through the village streets. This is the moment of deepest participation: confraternities, families, and those who have returned to the village for the occasion all accompany the statue through the decorated streets, with the marching band setting the pace.

Music, shows, and community

Alongside the religious program runs the secular one, designed for all ages. The evenings in the square feature tribute concerts dedicated to the great names of Italian music, with bands filling the village with sound until late. The afternoons are dedicated to children, with entertainment and circus performances. There is no shortage of civic moments, such as the laying of wreaths for the fallen, or cultural ones, including outdoor film screenings, exhibitions, and meetings organized by local associations.

• Triduum and liturgical celebrations in the parish church
• Solemn processions with the image of Maria SS. Immacolata
• Evening tribute concerts in the square, free admission
• Entertainment and circus shows for children
• Performance by the local marching band
• Lottery drawing, the traditional grand finale

The lottery, a ritual within a ritual

Among the most deep-rooted traditions is the festival lottery, with tickets circulating throughout the village all summer. The drawing, held on the final evening, is a collective event: the square fills up, numbers are read one by one, and the prize pool—15,000 euros in the 2025 edition—builds suspense until the very end. It is also the primary way the Festival Committee raises the funds necessary to support the event.

Who organizes it

The feast is promoted by the S.S. Immacolata Festival Committee, with the patronage of the Municipality of Guidonia Montecelio and the collaboration of the parish, the local ACLI circle, the Pro Loco, and village associations. It is a volunteer effort that lasts for months and involves dozens of people: decorations, lighting, security, and hospitality. This choral dimension is precisely what makes the feast so recognizable.

Why visit

For those visiting the Lazio region, the Feast of Maria SS. Immacolata is the perfect opportunity to discover a village that mainstream tourist circuits barely touch. You arrive in the afternoon, walk up to the fortress as the light fades over the countryside, dine at the food stands, and stay in the square for the concert. The next day, Tivoli with Villa d'Este and Villa Adriana is just a fifteen-minute drive away. A weekend that combines popular tradition and grand heritage, just a stone's throw from Rome.