Patronal Feast of Borgo Sperone

The Patronal Feast of Borgo Sperone

The Patronal Feast of Borgo Sperone is the most cherished event for the small community of Sperone, a hamlet within the municipality of Gioia dei Marsi, located in the Fucino Plain in the province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo). Every year, on the second Sunday of September, the village gathers around its patron saint, Saint Nicholas of Bari, in a celebration that weaves together faith, popular tradition, and moments of joy.

A Saint, a village, a memory

Devotion to Saint Nicholas has accompanied the people of Sperone for centuries. The history of this community is marked by the dramatic 1915 Marsica earthquake, which razed the ancient hilltop settlement to the ground. The inhabitants were resettled further down the valley, and between the 1960s and 1970s, they moved again to the current Borgo Sperone, at the gates of Gioia dei Marsi. The old village, now uninhabited, remains dominated by the evocative Sperone Tower, a 13th-century circular tower built by the Counts of Marsi, overlooking the Fucino Plain.

The festival program

The celebrations span three days. The religious heart is the procession with the statue of Saint Nicholas through the village streets, accompanied by a marching band and the faithful. Alongside the liturgical events, there are secular festivities:

• Solemn Holy Mass and patronal procession
• Concerts and musical evenings in the square
• Food stalls featuring the flavors of Marsican cuisine
• Games, entertainment, and social gatherings for families
• Fireworks display to close the festivities

The pilgrimage tradition

Linked to the cult of Saint Nicholas is the summer pilgrimage which, on the Sunday following Ferragosto (August 15th), leads the faithful along the ancient mule track to the abandoned village of Old Sperone, carrying the saint's banner in procession: a gesture of remembrance that strengthens the bond between the community and its roots.

Territory and surroundings

Gioia dei Marsi is located in a privileged position in the Marsica region, on the edge of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park. The festival is therefore also an opportunity to discover a territory of great naturalistic value, between the Fucino Plain, the Apennine forests, and the small villages that preserve centuries-old traditions. An authentic event, far from mass tourism circuits, where the Abruzzo Region reveals the most intimate face of its mountain communities.