Madonna della Libera Festival (Fontana Perrelli)

A devotion born by a fountain

The Madonna della Libera Festival is celebrated in Fontana Perrelli, a small village in the municipality of Minturno, in the far south of the Latina province, Lazio, just a few kilometers from the border with Campania and the Gulf of Gaeta. The town's name comes from the fountain with a watering trough around which the settlement grew: it is right there that the Church of Maria Santissima della Libera stands, a 14th-century religious building at the foot of Mount Frezzella, originally dedicated to Santa Maria di Bethlem.

Popular devotion links the festival to an event in 1621: during restoration work, a fresco of the Madonna that had been walled up decades earlier was rediscovered. While workers were busy, a large stone fell from the wall, striking a mason who remained unharmed. The event was immediately interpreted as a miracle, and since then, the Virgin has been venerated under the title of 'Libera' (The Liberator). Her feast day traditionally falls on the third Sunday of September.

Four days between the sacred and the secular

The calendar follows a well-established schedule, curated annually by the local committee in collaboration with the parish. It begins with the triduum of preparation, featuring celebrations and prayer in the church; then, the village comes alive with the secular festivities, which take place almost entirely outdoors, between the small fountain square and the streets of the village.

• Triduum and liturgies in the 14th-century church, with solemn masses.
• Folk games for the children and youth of the village.
• Tastings of local products and food stalls managed by the committee.
• Musical evenings, cabaret, and live shows on an outdoor stage.
• Fair with stalls and rides along the village streets.
• Evening procession with the image of Maria SS. della Libera.
• Fireworks display as the grand finale, the famous 'Fontana fireworks'.

The atmosphere of a village festival

Visitors will find one of the most authentic forms of a patronal festival in southern Lazio: not a large tourist event, but a celebration built by the residents, where families set tables outside their homes, emigrant children return for the occasion, and everyone ends the evening looking up at the sky to watch the fireworks. In recent years, the committee has enriched the program with more spectacular offerings—including a cabaret festival and 'dancing fountain' installations—without altering the religious core of the event.

Minturno, between archaeology and the sea

The festival is also a great opportunity to discover a territory in the province of Latina that often remains in the shadows. The municipality of Minturno preserves the remarkable Minturnae Archaeological Park, featuring a Roman theater still used for summer shows, an aqueduct, and the remains of the city on the Garigliano river. The medieval hilltop village overlooks the plain, while the coastal hamlet of Scauri offers beaches and a promenade. In September, the weather is still mild and the coast is much less crowded than in mid-summer.

Good to know

Access to all festival events is free of charge, as is traditional for local patronal feasts: the event is supported by the offerings of the faithful and the committee's initiatives. The detailed program, including times and guest names, is usually released in the weeks prior via posters displayed in town, the festival's Facebook page, and official notices from the Municipality of Minturno.