Festa patronale dei Santi Fermo e Rustico

The Patrons of Caravaggio

While the Sanctuary makes Caravaggio famous as a Marian destination, the religious heart of the historic centre is the Archpriestly Church of Saints Fermo and Rustico, dedicated to the two martyr patrons of the city. Their feast day falls on August 9th and is one of the most deeply rooted events in the town's identity, in the province of Bergamo.

A Very Ancient Church

The Church of Saints Fermo and Rustico is one of the oldest buildings in Caravaggio: built in its current form in the 13th century in the Lombard Gothic style, it houses valuable works of art, including a Martyrdom of Saints Fermo and Rustico. According to tradition, the relics of the two martyrs—belonging to the Curia of Bergamo—were donated to the city in 1588 and transferred to the parish church on August 21st of that year.

Between Faith and Festivities

The patronal festival combines the religious dimension—with solemn liturgical celebrations in honour of the patrons—with the civic and popular one, with festivities animating the community in the height of summer. It is a moment of gathering for the people of Caravaggio and for those who return to the city for the occasion, in the sign of ancient devotion.

A Tradition of the Bassa Bergamasca

The feast of Saints Fermo and Rustico tells the deep history of Caravaggio and its connection with the two martyrs who, according to legend, passed through the city at the dawn of Christianity. A heritage of faith and identity that is renewed every August 9th in the heart of the Bassa Bergamasca.