Madonna del Piano Festival

Ausonia's most beloved religious festival

In the heart of the Ciociaria region, at the foot of the Monti Aurunci, the small town of Ausonia (Frosinone province, Lazio) preserves one of the oldest and most deeply rooted Marian devotions in southern Lazio. Every August 21st, the town celebrates the solemnity of the Madonna del Piano, a religious feast held dear not only by the locals but also by the faithful from neighboring towns: Coreno Ausonio, Castelnuovo Parano, Spigno Saturnia, and Castro dei Volsci.

The Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Piano

The heart of the festival is the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Piano, located about a kilometer from the town center. Its origins date back to around 1100, when it was built over an ancient pagan temple, perhaps dedicated to the goddess Concordia. The church, originally Romanesque and later extensively remodeled during the Renaissance, preserves a fine four-arched portico dating to 1448, a 1531 polyptych by Gian Filippo Criscuolo depicting the Dormition of the Virgin, and a striking Romanesque-Byzantine crypt with frescoes illustrating an ancient miracle and Christological scenes. The bell tower and crowning were designed in 1927 by architect Gustavo Giovannoni.

The legend of the contested statue

Central to the tradition is a venerated polychrome wooden statue of the Madonna and Child, originating from nearby Castro dei Volsci. According to legend, the statue miraculously remained in the Ausonia sanctuary despite repeated attempts by the people of Castro to return it to their town. This episode gave rise to the centuries-old bond between the two communities, still commemorated today in a spirit of peace and brotherhood.

The triennial festival and the exchange of banners

Every three years, the solemnity takes on an even greater significance with the triennial meeting with the community of Castro dei Volsci. A long procession departs from Ausonia to reach the nearby town of Castelnuovo Parano, where banners are exchanged and the statue of the Madonna and Child is symbolically entrusted to the faithful from Castro, in memory of the ancient event. The last triennial edition took place in 2025.

A month of devotion

Throughout the month of August, the sanctuary becomes a place of pilgrimage: devotees arrive from everywhere, daily masses are celebrated, and moments of spiritual reflection are shared, leading up to the solemnity on August 21st. The festival unites popular faith, history, and the identity of an entire territory in the province of Frosinone.