Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

The Rosary Feast in San Severo

Every year in October, the city of San Severo, a key hub in the Alto Tavoliere of Foggia (the Apulian Capitanata), pays tribute to Our Lady of the Rosary with days of intense devotion. The festival is organized by the Archconfraternity of Maria SS. del Rosario, a historic association linked to the Church of the Santissima Trinità (known as the Celestini church), and represents an event deeply rooted in the religious and popular identity of San Severo.

The Triduum and Liturgical Feast

The spiritual heart of the festivities is October 7th, the day the Church celebrates the liturgical memorial of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary. On this date, the traditional Supplication to the Madonna is recited, and a solemn Eucharistic concelebration is held. In the days leading up to the outdoor procession, a solemn Triduum is preached, a time of preparation and prayer involving priests and the faithful of the diocese.

The Solemn Procession

The most anticipated moment is the outdoor procession, which winds along the entire ring of the Giro Esterno in the historic center of San Severo. The venerated statue of Our Lady of the Rosary, dressed according to ancient custom, is carried in procession accompanied by the statues of Saint Dominic of Guzmán and Saint Rose of Lima, figures tied to the Dominican tradition of the Rosary. The procession is enlivened by the Banda Rossa wind orchestra and punctuated by the traditional San Severo firework batteries, while at the exit and return of the statue to the church, a characteristic and sparkling shower of balloons, confetti, and notes colors the city sky.

Devotion and Popular Tradition

The Rosary Feast intertwines the liturgical dimension with a festive, communal spirit: the ornamental canopy, the illuminations, the brass band music, and the fireworks accompany the participation of the entire community. It is one of the most authentic expressions of popular religiosity in northern Apulia, where the confraternity tradition of San Severo is passed down from generation to generation.

When it takes place

The festivities usually take place in the second half of October, with the liturgical feast on October 7th and the procession on the following Sunday. The dates for the 2026 edition have not yet been announced by the Archconfraternity: the detailed program is usually released in the weeks preceding the feast.