Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne

A popular festival on the slopes of the Partenio

The festivities in honor of Saints Joachim and Anne take place every year at the end of July in the Sant'Anna district of the municipality of Mercogliano, in the province of Avellino, in the green heart of Campania. We are on the slopes of the Partenio massif, just a few hairpin bends from the Sanctuary of Montevergine: a setting of woods and chestnut groves that gives the festival its unique character, halfway between Irpinian Marian devotion and the daily life of a mountain community.

This is not an event built for tourism, but a deeply felt recurrence for the inhabitants, organized by the S. Anna Committee with the support of the municipal administration and local associations. Visitors from outside will find an authentic festival where the religious and civil programs go hand in hand.

The religious heart: Masses and procession

The main day begins very early: in the church of Sant'Anna, Holy Masses are held hourly from the first light of dawn to welcome the faithful who travel to the district from Avellino and neighboring towns. The most solemn moment is the 11:00 AM Mass, celebrated in honor of the patron saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Virgin Mary.

At the end of the celebration, the procession takes shape along the streets of the district, accompanied by the «Città di Pannarano» brass band. It is the most recognizable image of the festival: statues carried on shoulders, decorated windows, and band music echoing between the houses and the woods.

The Sant'Anna games, living memory of the chestnut grove

The afternoon belongs to the traditional Sant'Anna games, the country games that have been played in the chestnut grove for generations: tests of strength and skill, playful competitions, and challenges between teams and families. They are the popular soul of the event, the moment when the elders tell the young how things were played in the past and when the festival stops being a show to become participation.

In recent years, these games have also become a true cultural project: the community has worked with the school to pass on their rules, names, and gestures so that they would not be lost.

A short film awarded at Giffoni

From this work, a short film dedicated to the Sant'Anna games was born, created by the students of the Mercogliano Comprehensive Institute and awarded at the Giffoni Film Festival in the School Movie – Cinedù section. The screening, hosted in the small church of Sant'Anna, is now one of the most anticipated appointments: seeing one's children and grandchildren tell a village tradition on screen is a source of pride for the community.

Evenings in Piazza Sant'Anna

In the evening, Piazza Sant'Anna turns into a stage. The civil program focuses on Southern folk music, entertainment, and the promotion of local traditions, with live concerts that then give way to DJ sets until late at night. Around the stage, there is no shortage of food stands with local Irpinian products, making the evening a convivial occasion for all ages.

Why it's worth being there

• Authenticity: a patronal feast experienced by residents, not a folkloric reconstruction.
• The chestnut grove: country games in the shade of chestnut trees are a rare experience to see elsewhere.
• The band and the procession: one of the most photogenic collective rituals of the Irpinian summer.
• The location: Mercogliano is the gateway to the Sanctuary of Montevergine, perfect for combining a festival with a cultural visit.
• Free admission: all events, religious and civil, are free.

Those who choose to spend the last weekend of July here will discover a side of Campania far from the beaten path: a community that, through Masses, games, and music, puts itself on stage with naturalness.