Feast of Saint Onuphrius

A Journey Between Faith and Nature

In Chiauci, a small village in the province of Isernia nestled in Alto Molise, the Feast of Saint Onuphrius on June 11th is one of the most heartfelt and evocative events of the year. Saint Onuphrius, a hermit and anchorite of the Egyptian desert, is venerated here with a devotion that combines spirituality and landscape.

The Procession to the Hermitage

The heart of the feast is the procession that starts from the Church of San Giovanni in the village and accompanies the saint's statue along a path of about three kilometers to the hermitage-chapel of Saint Onuphrius, immersed in the majesty of the woods. This is a place dear to the community, reachable only on foot via paths that cross the beech forest. The statue is then returned to the village on Ferragosto, August 16th, with a second procession.

In the Green of Alto Molise

Chiauci is part of the territory of the MAB UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Collemeluccio-Montedimezzo. Participating in the Feast of Saint Onuphrius means experiencing an event that intertwines the religious dimension with the discovery of one of Molise's most precious natural areas, amidst silence, ancient woods, and mountain panoramas. The Municipality of Chiauci and the parish renew this rite that spans generations each year.