Festival of Our Lady of Fire

The patronal feast of Forlì

The Festival of Our Lady of Fire is the most heartfelt and identifying event in Forlì's calendar. Every February 4th, the Municipality of Forlì, in the heart of the Province of Forlì-Cesena and the Emilia-Romagna region, pays homage to its Patron Saint with a day that intertwines religious devotion, popular tradition, and civic celebration. The celebrations take place in the Cathedral of Santa Croce, the Duomo overlooking Piazza del Duomo, where the miraculous image is kept and venerated.

The miracle of 1428

The devotion stems from an event that tradition places on the night between February 3rd and 4th, 1428: a fire destroyed the school where a small woodcut image depicting the Madonna with Child and some saints was displayed. Amidst the flames, according to the story, the image remained intact. From that prodigy, the cult of the Madonna del Fuoco (Our Lady of Fire) was born, proclaimed Patron Saint of Forlì. The precious woodcut, considered among the oldest paper prints in Italy, is still preserved in the Cathedral today and is displayed for the veneration of the faithful.

Liturgies and pontifical concelebration

On February 4th, the Cathedral hosts a long sequence of Eucharistic celebrations from the early morning hours, presided over by bishops and priests from Romagna and neighboring dioceses. The central moment of the day is the pontifical concelebration presided over by the Bishop of Forlì-Bertinoro, followed in the afternoon by the recitation of the Holy Rosary, solemn Vespers, and the singing of Litanies. The feast is preceded by the novena, nine days of spiritual preparation culminating in the solemnity.

Popular traditions

• Lights in the windows: on the night between February 3rd and 4th, the people of Forlì light candles, wax lights, and small lamps on balconies and windowsills, in memory of the miracle and as a sign of devotion.
• The fair and stalls: the historic center fills with stalls that, from Piazza del Duomo to Piazza Aurelio Saffi, offer sweets, clothing, toys, and products of all kinds.
• The Piadina of Our Lady of Fire: a traditional sweet linked to the feast, prepared and enjoyed during these days.
• The Pilgrimage of the Salt Workers: the ancient devotional pilgrimage that reaches Forlì from the Romagna coast to honor the Patron Saint.

Between faith, historical memory, and a street festival, Our Lady of Fire represents a day of strong collective identity for Forlì, capable of uniting the city community and the numerous visitors who flock to the center each year.