Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

A festival that represents collective identity in Airola

In Airola, in the province of Benevento (Campania), the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows is more than just a date on the liturgical calendar: it is the moment when the entire community finds its sense of belonging. The Virgin of Sorrows is venerated as the Queen of Airola, and her cult shapes the town's life around the solemnity of September 15th. The festivities in their current form date back to 1917; in 2017, the city celebrated the centenary, a testament to a tradition passed down through generations.

The spiritual journey: prayer centers, the seven-day novena, and solemnity

Preparation is long and deeply felt: in the days leading up to the feast, prayer centers multiply across neighborhoods and districts, followed by the traditional seven-day novena dedicated to the Virgin. September 15th is the liturgical climax, with a solemn mass celebrated in the church of the Addolorata—elevated to a diocesan sanctuary on September 15, 2022, by Bishop Giuseppe Mazzafaro of the Diocese of Cerreto Sannita-Telese-Sant'Agata de' Goti—often presided over by the bishop himself. Because the festival falls at the start of the school year, a touching blessing of the backpacks for the town's children and students has also become a staple.

The sanctuary, the city's oldest building

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows is the oldest building in Airola: it was built in 1363 by the will of the feudal lord Giovanni Della Lagonissa under the name Santa Maria dell'Ariella and donated to the Benedictine monks of Montevergine in 1369. It stands on a hill next to the medieval castle, featuring an external staircase and Gothic forms, and houses the painting and statue of the Virgin of Sorrows, a destination for pilgrims all year round.

The procession and the Collatori di San Pasquale

The emotional heart of the festival is the solemn procession. The venerated image of the Addolorata—whose statue was blessed by Pope Francis on June 7, 2017, in St. Peter's Square in Rome—is carried on the shoulders of the Collatori di San Pasquale, guardians of a privilege passed down from father to son. It travels through the historic center, lit by luminarie (artistic light displays), to the monumental Church of the Santissima Annunziata, whose portico and facade were designed in 1754 by Luigi Vanvitelli and completed in 1786. In recent years, the parade has also reached the outlying districts of the municipality. Accompanying the slow pace of the bearers is the "G. Puccini" town band, an essential presence at the Airola festival.

The civil program: music, squares, and entertainment

Alongside the religious events, the Festival Committee organizes a significant civil program in the town squares every year. Recent editions have featured:

• Band concerts and the Bersaglieri Fanfare in Piazza Vincenzo Lombardi;
• Neapolitan and singer-songwriter music evenings with nationally renowned artists;
• The Grand Musical Gala with a symphony orchestra;
• Dancing fountain shows, with water displays, lasers, and music;
• Afternoons for children along Corso G. Montella, with inflatables, cotton candy, clowns, and fire-eaters.

The fireworks competition, a must for enthusiasts

Airola is known among pyrotechnics enthusiasts for its nighttime fireworks competition, which pits several Campania-based pyrotechnic firms against each other to win the gold medal named after "Cav. Giuseppe Meccariello." Historic firms from Sant'Antimo, Melito di Napoli, Pietrastornina, and Cava de' Tirreni have competed here: a tradition that draws crowds from outside the province and provides a spectacular finale to the civil festivities.

Why it's worth the trip

Those who arrive in Airola during the festival days find a city transformed: arches of lights, market stalls, the sound of the band mingling with prayers, and a popular participation that feels entirely authentic. It is the best opportunity to understand how, in the Sannio region and Campania, the patronal festival remains a powerful social glue, capable of mobilizing volunteers, merchants, and families: in the 2025 edition, part of the artistic lighting was donated by the Luciano family. The visit is completed by the historic center and its churches, in a corner of the Valle Caudina still largely untouched by mass tourism.