Feast of Saint Maximus (Priest and Martyr)

A celebration of faith and folk tradition

Every July, the small village of Castello del Matese, located in the province of Caserta in the heart of Campania, rallies around the Feast of Saint Maximus Priest and Martyr. It is a deeply felt event for the community, where religious and civil dimensions merge into days of prayer, music, and conviviality. The celebrations begin with the evocative ritual of lowering the Saint's statue from its niche to the altar, followed by a novena in the days leading up to the feast.

Devotion to Saint Maximus

The most solemn moment is the Holy Mass in honor of the Saint, followed in the afternoon by a procession through the alleys of the historic center: the statue is carried on the shoulders of the faithful through the village streets, in a parade that brings together the entire population. The feast of Saint Maximus is distinct from the patronal feast of Saint Anthony, celebrated in June, and represents a second important date in the local devotional calendar.

Folk music and Salento culture

Alongside the religious dimension, the feast offers a rich civil program. Evenings in Piazza Roma enliven the village with concerts and festivities: in the 2026 edition, the stage hosted the folk music of I Tamburellisti di Otranto, a historic Salento group fresh from a European tour, and a Salento pizzica workshop led by Maestro Massimo Panarese, the group's founder. Pizzica, the traditional dance and music of Salento, thus met the traditions of the Matese in an evening of great participation.

The village of Castello del Matese

Nestled on the slopes of the Matese massif, the town of Castello del Matese preserves a compact historic center, full of alleys and picturesque corners that fill with lights, stalls, and voices during the feast days. The festival is an opportunity to rediscover the town's identity and its community, between those who live in the village year-round and those who return in the summer to reconnect with family and friends.

Moments not to be missed

• The lowering of the Saint's statue and the preparatory novena
• The solemn Holy Mass in honor of Saint Maximus
• The procession of the statue through the historic center
• The charity tombola during the feast days
• Musical evenings in Piazza Roma with concerts and folk music

Organized by the Committee for the Festivities of Saint Maximus Priest and Martyr, the feast remains a moment of strong cohesion for the community of Castello del Matese and an invitation to discover an authentic corner of the province of Caserta.