Festival of Saint Liberatus the Martyr and Rocca Snail Feast

Saint Liberatus, the Most Beloved Saint of Roccamandolfi

In Roccamandolfi, a village in the Matese region of Isernia province, the festival of Saint Liberatus the Martyr is the most cherished event of the year. The saint's relics arrived in the village around 1780, brought at the behest of Countess Anna Pignatelli with the concession of Pope Pius VI, and for almost three centuries have been kept in the Sanctuary of San Giacomo Maggiore. Devotion is profound: on the first Sunday of June, the village experiences three days of religious solemnity and popular celebration.

Night Pilgrimages from the Matese

Among the most touching moments are the night pilgrimages that arrive from neighboring villages — Prata Sannita, Busso, Pietravairano — crossing the Matese mountains at night to a place called "Tre Croci" (Three Crosses). Pilgrims enter the church on their knees, singing traditional hymns like "Salve, Salve o Pio Guerriero" (Hail, Hail, Oh Pious Warrior). Masses begin early in the morning, and the evening procession carries the saint through the village streets, accompanied by the Roccamandolfi-Sant'Agapito band.

The Rocca Snails

Coinciding with the festival is the Rocca Snail Feast, considered one of the tastiest feasts in the Matese: the "ciammaruc" are snails, stewed in the traditional peasant style and prepared in the rooms of the village school. At the food stalls, you can taste them along with local typical products, in a festival that concludes the evenings with fireworks.