Holy Cross Festival – The May of Pastena

A patronal festival rooted in the prehistoric calendar

The Holy Cross Festival, known to everyone as "Il Maggio", is the most iconic event for the Municipality of Pastena, a village of just over a thousand inhabitants perched on the Ausoni Mountains, in the province of Frosinone, in the heart of the Ciociaria region and the Lazio Region. It is celebrated every year from April 30th to May 3rd and is organized by the Pastena Patronal Festival Committee, in close collaboration with the parish and the municipality.

The festival is dedicated to the Holy Cross, the town's patron saint, commemorating the discovery of the True Cross by Saint Helena in the 4th century. Yet, alongside the Christian dimension, a much older peasant liturgy remains intact: the May tree ritual, linked to the fertility of the land, the awakening of spring, and the propitiation of the harvest. It is this layering of meanings—the sacred and the agrarian, devotion and popular celebration—that makes the event so unique to outsiders.

The Festival Master and the choice of the tree

Everything begins well before April 30th. Around mid-April, a committee traverses the local woods in search of the right tree: it must be a tall, straight, perfect cypress. Once identified, it is marked with a cross by the Festival Master (Mastro di Festa), the central figure of the entire celebration, chosen each year as a representative of the community: he leads the ceremonies, hosts the relic, and opens the rites.

In the days leading up to the festival, the village women tirelessly prepare traditional sweets, particularly ciambelle (ring-shaped pastries) decorated in the center with a cross made of dough, which are later given as prizes and gifts throughout the event.

The four-day program

• April 30th, 6:30 AM — The Cutting of the May. At dawn, the bells ring out, accompanied by long sequences of firecracker blasts and shots from the musketeers. The Festival Master strikes the first blow with an axe; the tree is then felled, stripped of its branches, and dragged into town by oxen.
• April 30th, around 11:30 PM — The Abbusso. The priest, carrying the crucifix containing the relic of the Holy Cross, reaches the home of the Festival Master, which is shrouded in darkness. To the question of who is knocking, he replies: "The Holy Cross coming to visit you." The Master opens the door and welcomes the relic into his home, where it will remain until May 3rd.
• May 1st — The Raising. In the main square, the trunk is cleaned and smoothed; then, the top is adorned with a bundle of broom and a wooden cross representing the cross of Christ. The May tree is then hoisted vertically in front of the entire town. This is also the day of the greasy pole and the Ciocia d'Oro.
• During the festival days — The Sacred Heifer. A blessed heifer is led through the village streets and then released into the fields as a sign of good omen, according to an ancient pastoral custom.
• May 3rd — The Ascent of the May. The village youth compete to climb the pole, which is intentionally made slippery with grease: they must clean it with rags and ash to reach the top, where the famous ciambelle with the cross, liqueurs, cured meats, and money await.
• May 3rd — Solemn Mass and Procession. This is the day of the main celebration: after the mass, the procession carries the throne of Saint Helena, which embraces the Holy Cross, through all the streets. The pageant, under the canopy, brings together the priest, the bearers holding the large ciambellone, the Festival Master, the mayor, and civil authorities, accompanied by the singing of the hymn and frequent blank shots.

What to expect

Those arriving in Pastena during these days will find a village completely involved: this is not a reconstruction for tourists, but a living tradition, managed and experienced by the inhabitants. The atmosphere is that of the great patronal festivals of southern Lazio, filled with noise, incense, sweets, stalls, gunfire, and choral singing. The evenings conclude with musical entertainment and a fireworks display.

Pastena beyond the festival

The village is famous above all for the Caves of Pastena, one of the most visited karst complexes in Lazio, and for its location within the Ausoni Mountains and Lake Fondi Park. The festival therefore offers a chance to combine a rare ethnographic experience with local Ciociaria cuisine.