Madonna della Civita Festival

A devotion spanning the centuries

The Madonna della Civita Festival is the most anticipated event of the year for Itri, a town in the province of Latina, in southern Lazio, nestled between the Aurunci Mountains and the coast of the Gulf of Gaeta. The anniversary falls on July 21st and honors the Madonna della Civita, patron saint of the town and co-patron of the entire Archdiocese of Gaeta: a cult that the sanctuary has guarded for over ten centuries, drawing the faithful from all over lower Lazio and northern Campania.

The date is no coincidence. Tradition links it to July 21, 1527, when local communities climbed in pilgrimage to the sanctuary to invoke the Virgin's protection during the plague epidemic that was ravaging the Kingdom of Naples. In gratitude for the grace received, the feast has been celebrated with particular solemnity every year since.

The sanctuary on the mountain

The heart of the festival is the Santuario della Madonna della Civita, reached by climbing the road that winds up the mountain behind the town. From the top, the view embraces the plain of Fondi, the Aurunci Mountains, and, on clear days, the sea as far as the islands. It is a place that has moved even illustrious visitors: in 1849, Pope Pius IX stayed there, leaving words that still accompany the festival today and serve as the 2026 motto — «Gloriosa dicta sunt de te, Civitas Dei», «Glorious things are said of you, City of God».

The days of the festival

Celebrations are concentrated between July 19th and 21st, when the sanctuary becomes the center of pilgrimage and prayer. The Marian vigil with an evening candlelight procession opens the festivities; the eve brings the solemn mass and the traditional offering of roses to the Madonna, accompanied by the popular song dedicated to children in heaven, one of the most intense and moving moments for Itri families. On July 21st, holy masses follow one another throughout the day, from the early morning until evening, to welcome the continuous flow of pilgrims.

• Marian vigil and candlelight procession on the eve of the festivities
• Offering of roses with the traditional song
• Solemn concelebration on the sanctuary square, presided over by the Archbishop of Gaeta
• Procession with the silver bust of the Madonna through the streets of Itri
• Madonna della Civita Fair, with stalls and an extraordinary market in town

Between the sacred and the popular

As happens in the great patronal feasts of Southern Italy, in Itri, the religious and civil dimensions support each other. Alongside the liturgical celebrations, the town fills with illuminations, stalls, and food kiosks; the historic center and the upper districts, dominated by the medieval castle, provide a natural backdrop for the evening festivities, which traditionally close with a fireworks display over the fortress. The Madonna della Civita Fair is a historic appointment on the local commercial calendar, so much so that the Municipality moves the usual weekly market to allow it to take place.

Why it's worth the trip

Visitors from outside find much more than a local village fair: they find a community that identifies entirely with its patron saint, a sanctuary of great scenic charm, and a collective ritual that involves neighboring towns — from Gaeta to Fondi, from Sperlonga to Formia — linked for centuries by the same devotion. It is also an excellent opportunity to discover Itri, home of the Itrana extra virgin olive oil and the famous Gaeta olives, and to combine the visit with a day on the Pontine coast.