Feast of Saints Felix and Adauctus

A Patronal Feast in the Heart of the Valmenocchia

The Feast of Saints Felix and Adauctus is the patronal feast of the hamlet of Villa Santi, a small inhabited center in the Municipality of Massignano, in the Province of Ascoli Piceno, in the Marche region. Nestled along the Menocchia valley, a short distance from the Adriatic coast, Villa Santi preserves its rural identity and its devotion to the church that bears its name, the religious and social hub of the entire community.

The Patron Saints

Felix and Adauctus were two martyrs killed in Rome during Diocletian's persecution in the 3rd century. Felix was a Roman priest: as he was being led to execution along the road to Ostia, a stranger detached himself from the crowd, proclaiming himself a Christian and asking to share his fate. He was beheaded with him and was remembered as adauctus (the added one), hence the name Adauctus. The two were buried in the catacombs of Commodilla, along the Via Ostiense. The Church of Saints Felix and Adauctus in Villa Santi, rebuilt in the 17th century on the remains of a 10th-century Romanesque building of which the apse survives, preserves this ancient devotion.

The Festival Program

The feast traditionally spans two days, with a mix of civil and religious events:

• Saturday evening – Briscola card game at the parish hall, one of the most cherished occasions for the villagers to gather.
• Sunday morning – Vintage car and motorcycle rally, performance by the Banda musicale Città di Massignano conducted by Maestro Luca Cognigni, and Solemn Mass with the blessing of the fields, led by the Parish Choir, followed by a procession through the hamlet's streets.
• Sunday afternoon – Live musical performance and games for children, to conclude the feast in a joyful atmosphere.

Tradition and Community

Despite the small size of a hamlet, the Feast of Saints Felix and Adauctus represents an identity event for Villa Santi and Massignano: the blessing of the fields recalls the deep connection with the land and the agricultural rhythms of the Piceno area, while the band, the procession, and the convivial moments renew a rite of belonging passed down through generations. It is the ideal opportunity to discover an authentic corner of the inland Marche, far from mass tourist circuits.