Feast of Mary Most Holy Immaculate

The patronal feast of Campli

In the heart of the Teramo region, at the foot of the Laga Mountains, the Farnese village of Campli celebrates the Feast of Mary Most Holy Immaculate every year on a Sunday in September. She is the Protector, Advocate, Lady, and Patron Saint of the city alongside Saint Pancras the Martyr. It is the most anticipated devotional event of the year for the Campli community, which renews a centuries-old bond with the Virgin, filling the streets of the historic center with faith, tradition, and popular celebration.

A vow lasting over two and a half centuries

The feast stems from a dramatic yet miraculous episode. In 1764, Campli was struck by a violent typhus epidemic that decimated the population. In despair, on July 8th of that year, the people of Campli carried the statue of the Immaculate in a solemn procession to the city gates and, with an official petition documented by a notarial deed still preserved today, entrusted the keys of the city to the Virgin. Once the epidemic ceased, the community fulfilled the vow by proclaiming the Immaculate as the Patron Saint of Campli: since then, the September feast commemorates that liberation every year.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria in Platea

The heart of the celebrations is the Cathedral of Santa Maria in Platea, the main church of Campli, a jewel of Abruzzo sacred architecture that houses the Sanctuary dedicated to the Madonna Immaculate. In the same cathedral, every year from November 27th to December 8th, a novena is held at dawn, distinct from the September patronal feast but linked to the same Marian devotion.

Program and atmosphere

The program intertwines religious and civil moments: solemn Eucharistic celebrations, vespers, and the procession of the statue of the Immaculate through the streets of the village, accompanied by the band and the participation of the entire community. As a backdrop, illuminations, music, and social gatherings animate the squares of Campli, one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy, famous for its Holy Staircase and its PGI Italian porchetta.

Campli and Abruzzo

Visiting Campli during the patronal feast means discovering a Renaissance art village in the heart of the province of Teramo, in Abruzzo, where popular devotion blends with a historical and landscape heritage of rare beauty. The Feast of the Immaculate represents an authentic opportunity to experience the traditions of the Campli community and the hospitality of Abruzzo.