Feast of Saint Eustace

The patronal feast of Belforte del Chienti

The Feast of Saint Eustace is the main religious and civil event of Belforte del Chienti, a small medieval village perched on a hill in the province of Macerata, in the Marche region, in the Monti Azzurri area. Saint Eustace is the patron saint of the town and titular of the parish church that bears his name: his feast day traditionally falls around May 20th, the date on which the community gathers for the patronal celebrations.

Devotion and tradition

As has happened for centuries in the villages of the Marche hinterland, the patronal day revolves around the solemn Holy Mass celebrated in the Church of Saint Eustace and the procession through the streets of the historic center, a moment of strong participation that brings together residents and faithful from neighboring towns. The feast represents an occasion for the entire community to come together, intertwining the spiritual dimension with the convivial atmosphere typical of village festivals.

The Church of Saint Eustace and Boccati's polyptych

The heart of the feast is the Church of Saint Eustace, overlooking Piazza Umberto I, the main square of the town. Already mentioned in 1218 and remodeled into its current form after the earthquake of 1741, the church houses an authentic masterpiece: the polyptych by Giovanni Boccati, created in 1468 by the painter from Camerino for the high altar. The work, enclosed in a precious gilded wooden frame, measures 483×323 cm and consists of twelve panels and thirty-five figures. The entire structure celebrates the figure of Saint Eustace, whose story, taken from the Golden Legend by Jacobus de Varagine, is narrated in the predella panels. The polyptych is considered the most mature phase of Boccati's art, capable of blending late Gothic taste with Renaissance influences assimilated in central and northern Italy.

A village to discover

The patronal feast is also the ideal opportunity to visit Belforte del Chienti, a village with a characteristic medieval layout dominated by the fortress and the cone-shaped bell tower that stands next to the church. The celebrations of Saint Eustace are part of a calendar of events that liven up the town throughout the year, helping to keep alive the cultural identity of this community in the Monti Azzurri.