Le Torce of Sonnino

A ritual of fire on the night of the Ascension

Le Torce of Sonnino, also known as the Festival of the Torches or the Rite of the Boundaries, is one of the oldest and most evocative popular rites in Lazio. On the night between the Saturday and Sunday of the Ascension, hundreds of torchbearers leave the medieval village of Sonnino, in the province of Latina, and walk until dawn along the borders of the municipal territory carrying lit virgin wax torches. From the town square, the long strip of fire that appears on the Le Serre ridge is a spectacle that has kept the entire community awake for an entire night for generations.

The Rite of the Boundaries: approximately 30 kilometres on foot

The journey begins in the early afternoon from Piazza San Pietro, following mass and vespers in the church of San Michele Arcangelo. In the locality of La Cona, on Monte Ceraso, the procession divides into two groups: the "upper path" follows the borders with Monte San Biagio, Amaseno, and Roccasecca dei Volsci up to Le Serre, while the "lower path" skirts the territories of Monte San Biagio, Terracina, Pontinia, and Priverno, descending towards the Frasso district. The two itineraries rejoin in the La Sassa district, and the triumphant return takes place at dawn through the Porta di Tocco, amidst the blank shots of the riflemen echoing through the medieval alleys and the singing of Lauretan litanies.

Caporali, torchbearers, and riflemen

The procession is led by four caporali (corporals), historically chosen according to criteria established in 1817: good conduct, prudence, firmness, courage, and aptitude for handling weapons. The torchbearers carry virgin wax torches—those of the caporali are 150 centimetres long—prepared by hand in the preceding months, while the riflemen accompany the walk with continuous volleys. At stations commemorating violent deaths, the Pater, Ave, Gloria, and Requiem are recited, followed by the "Evviva Maria". Since 2020, women can also serve as caporali and riflemen: the tradition remains alive precisely because it knows how to renew itself.

A history documented since the 17th century

The first written traces of the rite date back to the 17th century in municipal expenses, and as late as 1872, the municipal budget recorded contributions for "the Ascension torches". The armed patrol of the borders was prescribed by the edict of Cardinal Consalvi on August 20, 1817, in the midst of the fight against brigandage, but the roots of the festival are much deeper: scholars link it to Christian Rogations and, even earlier, to the Roman Ambarvalia, the ancient purificatory circumambulations of the fields. By walking the borders with lit torches, the Sonnino community reaffirms itself and its space every year.

The festival in the square

While the torchbearers walk through the night, the town celebrates. In Piazza Garibaldi, activities for children, music by emerging artists, and live concerts take place; when the torches "appear" from the Le Serre ridge around 10 PM, the sky lights up with fireworks set to music. On the Sunday of the Ascension, the festival concludes with a thanksgiving mass and cultural meetings dedicated to the local historical heritage.

Sonnino, a village in the Monti Lepini

The rite is promoted by the Municipality of Sonnino together with the community of torchbearers and the parish of San Michele Arcangelo. Sonnino is a medieval village in the Monti Lepini, in the province of Latina, in the Lazio region, halfway between the Pontine plain and the Amaseno valley. Le Torce is its identity-defining event par excellence: a unique experience for those who want to discover the most authentic and archaic face of the traditions of southern Lazio.