Festa Patronale di San Vincenzo Ferreri

The patron saint of Cersosimo

Cersosimo is an ancient village of about six hundred inhabitants in the province of Potenza, located at 548 meters above sea level near the Calabrian border, in the Pollino area. Founded around the year 1000 by Basilian monks, it preserves a 10th-century Basilian monastery with precious frescoes and archaeological sites. Its patron saint is San Vincenzo Ferreri, celebrated every year with the most important festival of the Cersosimo summer.

The dancing statue

The heart of the festival is the procession of the saint's statue, carried on shoulders through the streets of the village: according to tradition, the bearers make the statue "dance," in a gesture of popular devotion that involves the entire community. The procession is accompanied by the marching band, popular songs and dances, while in the evening the sky lights up with fireworks displays.

The atmosphere and flavours

Food stalls line the village streets, offering Lucanian specialties: local sausages, ham, and salami, focaccias, and the excellent olive oil for which Cersosimo is renowned. The festival combines the sacred and the profane in a climate of great participation, with floral decorations, musical groups, and convivial moments.

Cersosimo and the surrounding area

Organized by the Pro Loco of Cersosimo (local tourism association) together with the parish, the patronal festival is also an opportunity to discover a village that has preserved its Greco-Byzantine roots intact, with its historic walls, stone houses, and unspoiled nature in the heart of the Lucanian Pollino.