Feast of Saint Augustine

Pavia, Guardian of Saint Augustine

The Feast of Saint Augustine is one of the most cherished events in Pavia, the capital of its province in Lombardy. The city indeed safeguards the relics of Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430) in the Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro. He was one of the greatest Fathers of the Church, a philosopher, and a theologian whose work marked the history of Western thought. The remains, which arrived in Pavia in the 8th century, rest in the famous marble Ark, a masterpiece of 14th-century sculpture.

August 28th, the Saint's Day

The climax of the celebrations is on August 28th, the day the Church commemorates the solemnity of Saint Augustine and his birth into heaven: the Saint indeed died on August 28th, 430. The day is marked by the solemn Mass, often presided over by a cardinal or bishop, and by moments of prayer that draw faithful from all over the diocese and beyond.

Exposition of the Relics

One of the most solemn moments is the exposition of the urn containing the Saint's relics, accompanied by the hymn Magne Pater and a prayer dedicated to Saint Augustine. It is a moment of intense spiritual significance, where the community renews its bond with the patron saint and his legacy of faith and thought.

A Late-Summer Tradition

Preceded by a triduum of preparation in the preceding days, the Feast of Saint Augustine is a well-established tradition that symbolically closes the Pavia summer. For the city, safeguarding the relics of the Saint of Hippo is a source of identity and pride: the feast is an opportunity to rediscover this extraordinary spiritual and artistic heritage in the heart of Pavia.