Patronal Feast of Saint John the Apostle

A patronal feast in the heart of the Roccamonfina Park

Tora e Piccilli is a small town in the province of Caserta, in Campania, nestled on the slopes of the extinct Roccamonfina volcano and located within the Roccamonfina - Foce Garigliano Regional Park. Here, the Patronal Feast of Saint John the Apostle has always been the most anticipated moment of the local calendar: for a few days, the village fills with families, emigrants returning to their hometown, and visitors from nearby towns in the Alto Casertano area. It is one of those festivals where the religious and popular dimensions are inextricably linked, and where the entire community—just a few hundred inhabitants—comes together for weeks of preparation.

Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist, patron saint of Piccilli

Devotion is directed toward Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist, the beloved disciple of Jesus, a figure associated in Christian tradition with love and loyalty. In Piccilli, a hamlet of the municipality, the patron saint is venerated alongside the Blessed Virgin Mary of Pompeii: both names appear in the title of the committee that has managed the festivities for years. The Marian devotion of Pompeii, deeply rooted throughout Campania, has thus intertwined with the cult of the apostle, giving rise to a feast with dual patronage.

How the day unfolds

The structure of the festival follows the classic format of Southern Italian patronal feasts, with a rhythm that accompanies the community from morning until late at night.

• Morning: Solemn mass in the parish church, celebrated in honor of the patron saint with the participation of the entire community.
• Afternoon: Procession through the streets of the historic center with the statue of the saint, accompanied by the brass band and the faithful.
• Evening: Opening of food stalls featuring local specialties, from baked goods to traditional Casertano peasant cuisine.
• Night: Concert in the square and a pyrotechnic display to conclude the festivities.

Throughout the day, there are also craft stalls, refreshment points, and activities designed for families and children: for a small town like this, the patronal feast remains the most important social event of the year.

A tradition that has changed its calendar

Those wishing to attend should check the dates before traveling, as the calendar of festivities has not been fixed over the years. In the past, the popular festival of Piccilli took place in mid-August, spread over three evenings with a show dedicated to children, a cabaret night, and a final concert followed by fireworks at midnight. The most recent documented edition was held on Sunday, June 29, 2025, concentrated into a single day. No official calendar has been released for 2026 yet.

The committee and the organizational machine

Behind the festival is the Saint John and Blessed Virgin of Pompeii Festivities Committee, a group of volunteers supported by the parish priest who handles fundraising, relations with bands, pyrotechnicians, and street vendors. Since there are no major sponsors, the committee organizes self-financing initiatives throughout the year—such as late-summer parties with fried pizza and traditional dishes at the Piccilli municipal villa—the proceeds of which go toward covering the costs of the patronal celebrations.

What to see in Tora e Piccilli

The festival is a great opportunity to discover an area little touched by mass tourism. The municipality houses the famous Ciampate del Diavolo (Devil's Footprints), fossilized tracks imprinted in the pyroclastic bank of Roccamonfina and considered among the oldest known human footprints: popular tradition attributed them to the devil, the only one capable of walking on incandescent lava. In Tora, you will find the Norman tower, dating back to the year 1000 and declared a national monument in 1939, a symbol of the town. In the Foresta hamlet, the Forestàte festival is held every summer, dedicated to music and theater in the village, while in Piccilli, the Brigands and Wine Festival takes place, with old cellars opened to the public. Those arriving for the patronal feast can easily build a weekend around the nature, archaeology, and gastronomy of the Alto Casertano.