Paduli Flower Festival
Ephemeral art and devotion: Corpus Domini in the most colourful village in Campania
About Paduli Flower Festival
The most colourful village in Campania
For one weekend a year, coinciding with the Corpus Domini solemnity, the streets of Paduli, a small town of just under four thousand inhabitants in the province of Benevento, vanish beneath a carpet of petals. The Paduli Flower Festival is one of the most heartfelt ephemeral art events in Campania: dozens of hand-crafted floral panels line the main avenue, forming a continuous path that in recent editions has exceeded two hundred metres in length and five metres in width.
The result is an open-air gallery that can only be admired for a few hours: at the end of the evening mass, the Eucharistic procession passes over the panels, which are thus consumed by the passage of the Blessed Sacrament. This is the most intense and symbolic moment of the entire festival, explaining why the flower festival in Paduli is experienced as an act of devotion rather than just a spectacle.
A tradition born in 1993
The Paduli flower festival began in 1993 through the initiative of the parish's youth group educators. From the first panels created by a few volunteers, the event has grown over the years to involve families, brotherhoods, associations, and local districts. Today, it mobilizes hundreds of residents every year—nearly four hundred flower artists including young people, adults, and the elderly—and has established twinning relationships with other Italian flower festivals, such as the one in Casatori, San Valentino Torio.
How a petal panel is born
Work begins months in advance: the annual theme and sketches are chosen, flowers are gathered and purchased, and work groups are organized. Guiding the artists are the zeletrici, the district leaders who safeguard the technique and pass it down from generation to generation. The actual laying of the petals is concentrated into a single night: it starts on Saturday afternoon, around 6 PM, and continues until dawn on Sunday.
- Drawing the sketch and transferring it onto the pavement
- Separating petals by colour and shade
- Filling in the colour fields, often completed at night
- Misting with water to preserve the petals until the procession
Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Campania Region
With decree no. 467 of June 9, 2020, the Paduli Flower Festival was inscribed in the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Campania Region, in the «Knowledge» section: a recognition that certifies its historical, social, and cultural value and has given new momentum to the organization. The event's logo is designed by Mimmo Paladino, an internationally renowned artist born in Paduli, who has linked his name to his hometown's festival by also creating the panel with which the village was represented in St. Peter's Square in Rome.
The 2026 edition: «Ecce Homo»
The 2026 edition, the thirty-first, took place on June 6 and 7 on the theme «Ecce Homo»: a visual narrative dedicated to episodes from the life of Christ. Twenty-five floral panels were created, largely designed by students from the «Alberti-Virgilio» Art High School in Benevento under the graphic coordination of Professor Mariapia Saccone; three other works were contributed by students from the «E. Falcetti» institute. Twenty-three groups of flower artists took part in the work.
Beyond the flowers: the Via Traiana, sports, and the flavours of Sannio
For years, the Municipality of Paduli has built a broader programme around the panels, with initiatives along the Via Traiana, the ancient Roman road that crosses the territory, as well as spaces dedicated to sports, youth, performances, tastings, and food stalls featuring products from the Sannio area. It is an opportunity to discover an agricultural village off the beaten path, just twenty minutes by car from Benevento and its Roman and Lombard landmarks.
Organizers
The event is promoted by the San Bartolomeo Apostolo Parish together with the Municipality of Paduli, the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament, and the Pro Loco Padulese, with the patronage of the Campania Region. Organizational direction is entrusted to Maura Patierno, while the parish priest Father Enrico Francesco Iuliano leads the liturgical aspect; official presentations are usually held at the Rocca dei Rettori in Benevento and in the parish spaces of the town.
Paduli Flower Festival — edition 2026
«Ecce Homo»: the 2026 theme
The 2026 edition of the Paduli Flower Festival, the thirty-first, was held on Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7, coinciding with the Corpus Domini solemnity. The chosen theme, «Ecce Homo», guided a visual narrative in which petal panels retraced the stages of Jesus' life: an itinerary that was both artistic and spiritual along the village's main avenue.
Twenty-five panels, twenty-three groups
For the occasion, twenty-five floral panels were created. Most of the sketches were signed by students from the «Alberti-Virgilio» Art High School in Benevento — including Anna Rita Parrella, Antonella Rossetti, Antonio Messere, Aurora Barbato, Jolanda Puzella, Lidia Galante, Martina Terranova, Sofia Sarno, and Lilian Nicole Jaimes — under the graphic coordination of Professor Mariapia Saccone; three additional works were curated by students from the «E. Falcetti» institute. The opening panel of the route was signed by Mimmo Paladino, an internationally renowned artist from Paduli.
A night of collective work
The laying of the petals began on the afternoon of Saturday, June 6 and kept the flower artist groups busy until late at night: hundreds of people of all ages, including districts, families, associations, and parish groups. On Sunday, June 7 at 12 PM, the official presentation of the flower festival was held with local authorities, before the Eucharistic procession crossed the panels in the afternoon.
A recognized heritage
The 2026 edition reaffirmed the value of an event inscribed in the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Campania Region, promoted by the San Bartolomeo Apostolo Parish with the Municipality of Paduli, the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament, and the Pro Loco Padulese, with the patronage of the Campania Region. Alongside the panels, the programme included initiatives along the Via Traiana, sports areas, performances, tastings, and food stalls featuring the excellence of the Sannio region.
Programme Paduli Flower Festival 2026
Saturday, June 6, 2026
- From the afternoon: setup of floral panels along the main avenue — twenty-three groups of flower artists at work until late at night
- In the evening: opening of food stalls with Sannio products and initiatives along the Via Traiana
Sunday, June 7, 2026
- Morning: flower festival complete and visitable along the entire route — twenty-five petal panels on the theme «Ecce Homo»
- 12:00 PM: official presentation of the 2026 Flower Festival with authorities and organizers
- In the afternoon: Corpus Domini celebration and Eucharistic procession over the floral panels, led by parish priest Father Enrico Francesco Iuliano
- During the day: performances, sports activities, tastings, and food stalls
Organizational direction for the 2026 edition was entrusted to Maura Patierno.
Highlights Paduli Flower Festival 2026
- «Ecce Homo» theme: twenty-five petal panels dedicated to episodes from the life of Christ
- The panel by Mimmo Paladino, an artist from Paduli, opening the floral route
- Sketches by the «Alberti-Virgilio» Art High School in Benevento, with three works by students from the «E. Falcetti» institute
- The night of the flower artists between Saturday and Sunday: twenty-three groups and hundreds of volunteers
- The Corpus Domini procession that crosses and consumes the panels
- Sannio food stalls and initiatives along the Via Traiana
Prices Paduli Flower Festival 2026
Practical information — Paduli Flower Festival
How to get there
Paduli is located a short distance from Benevento, reachable in about twenty minutes by car along the route leading from the Sannio capital towards Puglia. Those arriving by train can get off at Benevento station and continue by bus or taxi. The most convenient airport is Naples-Capodichino.
When to arrive
The panels are created on the night between Saturday and Sunday, starting from late Saturday afternoon: witnessing the laying of the petals is one of the most beautiful experiences of the festival. On Sunday morning, the flower festival is complete and can be visited along the entire avenue; in the afternoon, after mass, the Corpus Domini procession crosses the panels and dismantles them. Those wishing to photograph the intact works should therefore arrive in the morning.
Admission and costs
Visiting the flower festival is free and open to all. Only food at the gastronomic stalls and any specific registered activities require payment.
Tips
- Wear comfortable shoes: the route is pedestrian-only and the avenue area is closed to traffic.
- Respect the barriers and do not step on the petals: the panels are extremely fragile.
- Dates change every year because Corpus Domini is a movable feast: always check the calendar before travelling.
Information
Municipality of Paduli — tel. +39 0824 928019 — official website: www.comune.paduli.bn.it
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Where does it take place — Paduli Flower Festival
Viale Libertà e centro storico di Paduli
Viale Libertà, 82020 Paduli