Festival of Forgiveness

The Festival of Forgiveness of Bagno di Romagna

The Festival of Forgiveness, also known as Perdonanza, is one of the oldest and most deeply rooted religious events in the municipality of Bagno di Romagna, in the province of Forlì-Cesena, in Emilia-Romagna. Celebrated for centuries in the heart of the spa town, the festival traditionally takes place around the second Friday of March and represents a moment of intense participation for the entire community of the Savio valley.

Origins and Meaning

Tradition traces the Perdonanza back to the age-old custom by which priests visited remote mountain valleys to offer the sacraments of Confession and Communion to isolated peasants. The plenary indulgence was officially granted in 1294 by Pope Celestine V, as remission of sins for sincerely penitent faithful. The festival thus expresses the idea of reconciliation between God and humanity, a central element of the cultural identity of the Apennine communities.

Sacred Symbols

Two devotional treasures are at the center of the festival, both kept in the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta:

• The wooden Crucifix: a 15th-century sculptural work (around 1460), attributed to a Tuscan master and known for its raw and intense realism. Almost life-size, it is normally placed on a side altar and is carried in procession through the town's streets.
• The Sacred Corporal: linked to the Eucharistic miracle of 1412, when the Camaldolese monk Lazzaro saw the sacramental species spill from the chalice in the form of living blood.

The Procession and Indulgence

The most solemn moment is the procession with the Crucifix, which winds through the streets of the historic center amidst a crowd gathered in prayer. A special papal privilege allows the faithful to fulfill their Easter precept in advance by venerating the Crucifix. Plenary indulgence is granted to those who approach Confession with deep and sincere repentance and receive Communion.

An Event for the Community

The Festival of Forgiveness unites spiritual dimension and local identity: for many inhabitants of Bagno di Romagna and the mountain hamlets, it is the main event of the year. The celebrations conclude with the kissing of the Crucifix and the repositioning of the wooden cross on the altar, sealing a rite passed down from generation to generation.