Madonna di Maggio Festival and Mount Soratte Torchlight Procession

A devotion that has set the mountain ablaze since 1814

Every year, on the last Sunday of May, the village of Sant'Oreste, located in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, experiences its most anticipated day: the Madonna di Maggio Festival. Celebrated continuously since 1814, the event culminates in the famous Mount Soratte Torchlight Procession. It is one of the most impressive displays of popular devotion in Lazio: roughly a thousand bundles of reeds are ignited simultaneously on the mountainside, making the peak appear to be literally on fire—a sight visible from far across the Tiber Valley.

The origins: the vow of Father Luigi Peligni

The tradition stems from a vow. Father Luigi Peligni, a priest arrested by the French for refusing to swear allegiance to the Napoleonic government, initiated the practice of the Marian Month in Sant'Oreste upon his release, dedicating the entire month of May to the Virgin. Since 1814, the community has never ceased to renew this tribute, and since 1858, the festival program has included the lighting of the bundles on the mountain, which has become the core identity of the celebration.

The procession and the Torchlight event

In the late afternoon, following Holy Mass, the venerated effigy of the Madonna di Maggio is carried in a procession through the streets of the historic center, decorated for the occasion with flowers, illuminated arches, and colorful lights, in the presence of religious, civil, and military authorities and numerous faithful. The procession reaches the Chapel of Saint Anthony, facing Mount Soratte. As the parade arrives at Piazza Mola a Vento, the bundles of reeds—prepared by volunteers over the preceding days along the rocky spur where an iron cross stands—are lit simultaneously. Fire, smoke, and fireworks dance across the sky above Soratte, closing the day with a breathtaking pyrotechnic display.

A year-long labor

Behind the few minutes of enchantment provided by the torchlight event lies the patient work of the Madonna di Maggio Festival Committee: reeds are gathered, dried, and tied into bundles throughout the year, then carried up the mountain and positioned at designated spots in the days leading up to the festival. It is a collective ritual that involves entire families in Sant'Oreste and has been celebrated by the Metropolitan City of Rome as a vital piece of local heritage.

Mount Soratte and its village

Mount Soratte, which stands solitary over the countryside north of Rome along the Via Flaminia, is the heart of the Regional Nature Reserve of the same name. It is dotted with ancient hermitages and scenic trails that offer sweeping views of much of the Lazio region. Many hikers choose the Sunday of the festival to climb to the summit during the day and witness the mountain being set ablaze at night. The village of Sant'Oreste, about 48 kilometers from Rome, welcomes visitors with singing, live music, a brass band, and, in some years, paragliding displays over the valley.

A festival for thousands of visitors

Free and deeply authentic, the Madonna di Maggio Festival attracts thousands of people every year, including the faithful, curious onlookers, and photographers. For those looking to discover the folk traditions of Lazio, the last Sunday of May in Sant'Oreste is an event that is worth the trip alone.