Madonna delle Grazie Festival

The most heartfelt festival in Capranica

In the village of Capranica, in the province of Viterbo, the Madonna delle Grazie Festival is the most anticipated event of the year. For over two centuries, the community has gathered every second Sunday of May around the venerated image of Maria SS. delle Grazie, in a celebration that weaves the deep faith of the Viterbo Tuscia with the conviviality of a grand village feast. It is not merely an event, but a collective ritual that has defined the Capranica spring for generations.

An ancient devotion

The festival is overseen by the Arciconfraternita Maria SS. delle Grazie, the largest of the town's confraternities with about four hundred members. Its origins date back to the 14th century, while the modern confraternity celebrated the bicentenary of its foundation in 2008. The ancient statue of the Madonna and Child, adorned with precious embroidered fabrics and a celestial mantle studded with stars, is carried in procession on an artistic wooden float, accompanied by brothers in white robes, light blue hoods, and cords.

Five days of celebrations

The festivities open with the Triduum of preparation in the Church of Santa Maria and continue with evenings dedicated to families and young people, involving confraternities, parishes, and the local music school. On Saturday, the festival comes alive with children's games at "C. Nicolini" Park, the Solemn Mass presided over by the Bishop, the Sung Mass, and, at midnight, the evocative Fiorita with the recitation of the Holy Rosary.

• Solemn procession of the sacred image through the historic center, with the "Franco Puglia" Marching Band
• Concerts and musical performances in the square
• Traditional Bingo with a rich prize pool
• Distribution of fried doughnuts, the festival's signature treat
• Fireworks display to close the festivities

The grand finale on Sunday

Sunday is the highlight: in the morning, the procession winds through the village streets to the rural chapel dedicated to the Madonna, while the afternoon and evening offer music, sweets, and the grand "Fire Within the Walls" fireworks display at the Ponte dell'Orologio, one of Capranica's most beautiful viewpoints. A finale that brings the whole town together, between the sacred and the profane, under the sky of the Tuscia.

Capranica and the Viterbo Tuscia

Perched on a tufa spur along the ancient Via Francigena, Capranica preserves a medieval historic center of great charm, dominated by the Rocca degli Anguillara and the Romanesque Temple of San Francesco. Visiting the village during the festival means discovering an authentic corner of Lazio, where religious tradition is still the beating heart of the community.