Immaculate Conception Feast of Pila ai Piani

A Marian devotion in the heart of Alta Irpinia

A few kilometers from the scenic village of Frigento, one of the highest municipalities in the province of Avellino, the Pila ai Piani district celebrates its most cherished event twice a year: the feast in honor of Mary Most Holy Immaculate, the local parish's patron saint. This is not a manufactured tourist attraction, but a genuine community celebration born from the devotion of local families and organized by the parish alongside the pastoral council and the festival committee.

The spring feast

The main event takes place in spring. The calendar of the Archdiocese of Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi-Conza-Nusco-Bisaccia sets the feast for the third Sunday (or Saturday) of May: in 2026, events were held on Saturday, May 16th, and Sunday, May 17th, while in 2025, the procession took place on Sunday, May 18th.

The schedule follows a well-established pattern. In the days leading up to the feast, the community gathers for the Holy Rosary and evening Mass at the Cappella del Capitano, with special moments of prayer—such as the rosary meditated before the Eucharist and prayers for parents who have lost a child. Saturday is the eve, with Mass preceded by the Rosary and First Vespers; on Sunday, celebrations are held first in the chapel, then in the new parish church, followed by an afternoon procession where the statue of the Madonna is carried through the district's streets.

Music, dance, and fireworks

The religious program is complemented by secular festivities, an integral part of Irpinian tradition. Evenings begin around 9:00 PM with dance orchestras and musical groups animating the festival square: ballroom dancing, folk music, and popular hits keep families and young people entertained until late. The celebration concludes with fireworks, the traditional signal in Pila ai Piani, as in much of Southern Italy, to bid farewell to the feast until the following year.

December 7th and 8th: the bonfire and the solemnity

Devotion to the Immaculate Conception does not end in May. On December 7th, the eve of the solemnity, the Immaculate Conception bonfire is lit on the church square—one of the community's most attended rituals—followed by the Rosary and Mass with the blessing of the Nativity scene. On December 8th, the day includes a morning Mass with the Supplication to the Immaculate and a late afternoon Mass with the Act of Consecration. These celebrations are part of the Natale Frigentino, the Christmas program organized by the Municipality of Frigento in collaboration with local parishes, the Pro Loco Frigentina, and local associations.

The new parish church

A new milestone for the feast is the new church of Mary Most Holy Immaculate, consecrated on September 7, 2024, with a solemn concelebration presided over by Archbishop Pasquale Cascio, in the presence of the Mayor of Frigento and architect Federico Verderosa, who designed the project. The parish is entrusted to the Capuchin friars, with Father Cosimo Vicedomini serving as parish administrator. Since 2024, the May feast has been held between the historic Cappella del Capitano and the new place of worship, two landmarks that bridge memory and the present.

Frigento and the Ansanto Valley

Visitors arriving for the feast will find one of Italy's most beautiful villages just minutes away. Frigento, in Campania, sits at an altitude of over 900 meters, overlooking the Fredane Valley and Alta Irpinia. It features the famous Roman Cisternoni, a historic center clustered around the cathedral, and panoramic views that, on clear days, reach as far as the Matese and Vulture mountains. It is a land of transhumance, wheat, and vineyards, where patronal feasts still mark the calendar more than tourist seasons.

Why visit

• An authentic community feast, far from mass tourism circuits
• The Marian procession on the third Sunday of May
• Free evening musical performances and closing fireworks
• The winter ritual of the Immaculate Conception bonfire on December 7th
• A visit to the village of Frigento and its Roman monuments