Festa di San Michele Arcangelo a Sant'Angelo in Grotte

The village of the sacred cave

Sant'Angelo in Grotte is a hamlet of the municipality of Santa Maria del Molise, in the province of Isernia. The village takes its name from the cave dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, a suggestive place of worship of Lombard origin carved into the rock, with its natural vault, altar, and image of the Archangel. For centuries, the cave has been a destination of devotion and is part of the great network of Michaelic worship that stretches from Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy to Gargano.

The festival of September 29th

Devotion to Saint Michael the Archangel culminates every year on September 29th, the Archangel's liturgical feast day. The day includes a pilgrimage to the sanctuary in the cave, religious services, and a procession, in an atmosphere of strong popular participation that also attracts emigrants returning to their hometown.

The Rite of Comparanza

The most characteristic element of the festival is the ancient Rite of Comparanza, renewed every September 29th: a bond of spiritual kinship that unites people in a pact of friendship and brotherhood sealed before the Archangel. During the festival days, traditional biscuits are also produced, offered or exchanged for donations. It is one of the most deeply rooted religious traditions in the Isernia area, a guardian of the faith and identity of inland Molise.