Festa in onore di San Luca Evangelista
The procession of the painting from the Abeti Soprani woods to the village
About San Luca Evangelista
San Luca and the Abeti Soprani woods
In Pescopennataro, in the province of Isernia, the festival in honour of San Luca Evangelista is one of the most cherished events, deeply linked to the village's mountain landscape. According to legend, San Luca stopped here during his journey from Rome to the Holy Land: in his honour, an hermitage stands in the woods of the Abeti Soprani, featuring a cave carved into the limestone rock and a modern church dedicated to the Evangelist.
The procession of the painting
The heart of the festival, traditionally held on September 10th, 11th, and 12th, is the procession of San Luca's painting. In the early afternoon, the image is taken from the chapel in the woods and carried on foot to the village gates, in the Preziosi area. At sunset, after the fireworks, the painting is escorted to the Mother Church of San Bartolomeo Apostolo, where it is welcomed with a Holy Mass. Among the traditional moments, there is a lunch of roast lamb in the woods, in the San Luca area.
The return to the woods
The devotion continues beyond the festival days: on October 18th, San Luca's liturgical feast day, the painting is carried back in procession to its chapel in the Abeti Soprani woods. A rite that tells of the unbreakable bond between the community of Pescopennataro, its saint, and the mountain that guards him, in the heart of the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise.
San Luca Evangelista — edition 2026
For 2026, Pescopennataro renews the festival in honour of San Luca Evangelista, scheduled for September 10th, 11th, and 12th. The saint's painting is taken from the chapel in the Abeti Soprani woods and carried in procession to the village gates, in the Preziosi area; at sunset, after the fireworks, it reaches the Mother Church of San Bartolomeo Apostolo for Holy Mass. Among the traditional moments, there is the lunch of roast lamb in the woods.
Programme San Luca Evangelista 2026
The detailed schedule of events for 2026 will be announced by the Municipality of Pescopennataro and the parish. The traditional structure of the festival includes:
- September 10-12 — Festival days with lunch of roast lamb in the woods, in the San Luca area
- Early afternoon — Procession of San Luca's painting from the chapel in the woods to the village gates (Preziosi area)
- Sunset — Fireworks and procession towards the Mother Church of San Bartolomeo Apostolo, welcome with Holy Mass
- October 18th — Return procession of the painting to the chapel in the Abeti Soprani woods
Highlights San Luca Evangelista 2026
Prices San Luca Evangelista 2026
Practical information — San Luca Evangelista
How to get there
Pescopennataro is reached by car via the provincial roads of Alto Molise, in a mountainous area bordering Abruzzo. The nearest train station is Isernia. To reach the hermitage and the chapel in the Abeti Soprani woods, continue along the indicated forest roads.
When
The festival is celebrated on September 10th, 11th, and 12th; the painting returns to the chapel in the woods on October 18th. For the updated schedule, it is advisable to contact the Municipality of Pescopennataro or the parish.
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Where does it take place — San Luca Evangelista
Bosco Abeti Soprani e Chiesa di San Bartolomeo Apostolo, Pescopennataro