Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua (Patron Saint)

The patron saint of Tagliacozzo

On June 13th, the town of Tagliacozzo, one of the most picturesque villages in the Marsica area in the province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo), pays tribute to its main patron saint, Saint Anthony of Padua. This devotion is rooted in a 17th-century event: according to tradition, in 1647, the city was spared from destruction thanks to the intercession of the Saint, invoked by the population in a moment of great danger. Since then, Saint Anthony has been proclaimed the main patron of Tagliacozzo and its territory, while Saint Roch, the former patron, is venerated as co-patron.

A sober and heartfelt solemnity

The festival has a predominantly religious and contemplative character. The heart of the day is the Solemn Mass celebrated in the Church of San Francesco, the ancient convent complex linked to the Conventual Franciscan Friars who guard the Antonian devotion in the city. At the beginning of the celebration, the mayor renews the symbolic gesture of entrusting the keys of the city to the Saint, invoking his protection over the Tagliacozzo community. The municipal administration deliberately maintains a sober style, reserving more recreational events for other times of the year and experiencing June 13th as a day of reflection, unity, and hospitality.

The Obelisk Fountain

A symbol of the festival and the bond between the city and its patron is the Obelisk Fountain, which dominates the central Piazza dell'Obelisco. Erected in 1825 in honor of the Saint, it bears the Latin inscription DIVO ANTONIO PATAVINO at its base. In 2025, the monument turned two hundred years old: for the occasion, the fountain, adorned with white and yellow lilies — Antonian symbols — and fed by its water jets, returned to shine thanks to new lighting and maintenance work. In the most recent celebrations, the statue of the Saint, during the short processional route, stops exceptionally in front of the Obelisk, uniting the liturgical and civic moments.

A day of community

The anniversary is also shared by the hamlet of Tremonti, which celebrates the same patron on the same date. For the people of Tagliacozzo, June 13th is much more than a liturgical feast: it is a moment of collective identity, in which the medieval village, with its famous Piazza dell'Obelisco, the Ducal Palace, and the Teatro Talia, serves as a backdrop to a tradition handed down for centuries in the Province of L'Aquila.