Infiorata of Circello (Feast of the Madonna dei Fiori)

A night of flowers in the heart of Sannio

Circello is a village of just over two thousand inhabitants, nestled at an altitude of about 700 meters in the Alto Tammaro area, in the province of Benevento, Campania. For most of the year, it is a quiet hamlet of stone and steep alleys; then, at the beginning of summer, it changes its face. Between May 31 and June 2, the Municipality of Circello celebrates the Madonna dei Fiori, and Via Roma, the main street, is covered with paintings composed of petals, fresh flowers, herbs, berries, and coffee grounds.

The work takes place almost entirely at night: after the holy mass and the mandate ritual, groups of 'infioratori' (flower artists) take to the streets and work until dawn, amidst music, chatter, and improvised refreshment points. Those who arrive the next morning find the finished paintings and cannot imagine how many hands produced them in just a few hours.

The Triumph of the Madonna dei Fiori

The devotional heart of the festival is not the Infiorata, but the Trionfo, a much older tradition. It is a wooden niche-shaped structure, entirely covered with over eight thousand flowers collected by the local population: the stems are all cut to the same length and woven onto thin reed sticks, which are then fixed to the wood of the throne. Inside the niche sits the statue of the Virgin, venerated in Circello as Madonna del Carmine under the title of Madonna dei Fiori, which on June 1st travels in procession through the streets of the town.

The paintings of Via Roma

The Infiorata as we see it today was born in the mid-2000s and has consolidated edition after edition: the first organized exhibition dates back to 2006, with ten compositions; in 2015 the tenth edition was celebrated, and in 2025 the eighteenth, with eighteen paintings lined up along Via Roma and a floral carpet laid out in front of the Annunziata church.

The subjects are largely sacred, but not exclusively: over the years, panels dedicated to civil and social themes have appeared, from UNICEF's commitment to the local agricultural world. Over time, the following have participated in creating them:

• confraternities and parish groups, starting with the Confraternita San Rocco;
• local associations, including Azione Cattolica, the Youth Forum, the Franciscan Youth, and the cultural center named after Teofilo Petriella;
• the school and local educational institutions;
• individual citizens, families, and artisans who work on their own painting.

Who organizes the festival

The event is born from the collaboration between the Confraternita San Rocco, the SS. Annunziata parish, the Municipality of Circello, and the Pro Loco. It is a self-produced festival, without major sponsors: the flowers come largely from the surrounding countryside and donations from families, and the value of the event lies precisely in the amount of volunteer work that keeps it going.

In the National Network of Infiorate

In 2024, Circello joined, together with Cusano Mutri and Paduli, the National Network of Infiorate and Ephemeral Art Compositions, promoted by the Unpli with the patronage of the Anci and presented to the Ministry of Culture: seventy-four Italian Pro Loco associations that share techniques, quality standards, and promotion of these ephemeral arts. For a village in the Alto Tammaro, it is a significant recognition, as it places the Sannio Infiorata on the same cultural map as the great Italian flower festivals.

What to expect as a visitor

• When: the festival traditionally takes place between May 31 and June 2, around the Republic Day holiday.
• Where: Via Roma and the space in front of the Annunziata church, in the historic center.
• Admission: free.
• The best moment: the night of the setup, to see the paintings come to life, and the following morning, when the colors are still intact.
• For families: on the closing evening, the village children walk on the paintings before they are removed: it is the ritual that concludes the festival and returns the street to the village.

The 2026 edition

At the moment, no announcement with the official dates for the 2026 edition or the relative program has been published online. However, the tradition is annual and linked to a stable liturgical calendar, so it is very likely that in 2026 the event will also take place on the usual days between the end of May and June 2. Before setting off, it is advisable to ask for confirmation from the Municipality of Circello or the Pro Loco.