Patronal Feast of Saint Marcellinus Priest and Martyr (featuring the Dance of the Saint)
The Dance of the Saint, an Intangible Heritage of the Campania Region, in the heart of the Agro Aversano
About Feast of Saint Marcellinus
An entire town serving its patron saint
In San Marcellino, a town in the Agro Aversano area of Caserta province, the patronal feast is not just a one-day event but a long season of devotion. The patron saint, Saint Marcellinus, priest and martyr, a member of the Roman Christian community who lived between the 3rd and 4th centuries and was martyred during the Diocletian persecution in 304 alongside his companion Peter, is celebrated every year on June 2nd, the fixed liturgical date. Festivities extend for weeks around this date, culminating on the Sunday of the Octave, involving the entire town and neighboring centers of Campania.
The Dance of the Saint, an Intangible Heritage of the Campania Region
The heart of the feast is the Ballo del Santo, a tradition recognized in 2021 as an Intangible Heritage of the Campania Region by regional decree and cataloged by Scabec, the regional cultural heritage agency, in the section dedicated to Campania's intangible heritage celebrations. At the end of the procession, the pallbearers sway the statue on their shoulders to the rhythm of the music: back and forth, kneeling on the asphalt, then rising again, lifting the patron saint with outstretched arms as a sign of glory, penance, and veneration. It is both an act of thanksgiving and penance, while the faithful respond by raising their arms toward the statue.
The pallbearers, a school of devotion
Carrying the saint is not something to be improvised. The statue weighs approximately 250 kilograms and is supported by a corps of about 120 uniformed pallbearers who rotate in three shifts. Preparation begins many months in advance with training sessions organized by the Parish Feast Committee: they learn to synchronize their steps, pace their strength, and change the «sdanghe» (wooden poles) without stopping the procession, all while obeying the commands of the head guide, the «masto di festa». It is a skill passed down from father to son that unites entire families in the town.
Processions, illuminations, and fireworks
According to tradition, the procession takes place over two days, Saturday and Sunday, and is repeated on the Sunday of the Octave: the saint travels through the streets of the town blessing homes, accompanied by the historic Banda di Pietro, which sets the rhythm for the dance. Throughout the festivities, the town center is adorned with luminarie (light displays) and animated by stalls and fairground rides. The feast officially concludes with a fireworks display, highly anticipated even by visitors from outside the town: San Marcellino has long been a known destination for pyrotechnics enthusiasts in the Agro Aversano.
The Mother Church and historical roots
The liturgical center of the feast is the Mother Church of Saint Marcellinus the Martyr, located at Via Palma 38. Its origins date back to a 12th-century chapel; the current building, with a single nave, trapezoidal presbytery, and semicircular apse, was constructed in the second half of the 16th century and remodeled in Baroque style between the 17th and 18th centuries, with restoration work in 1954 and 2021. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Aversa. The first known historical document regarding the feast dates back to 1897, but the devotion is certainly much older: a book by Ettore Cantile, «La festa patronale di San Marcellino in Caserta, usanze e tradizioni. Il ballo del santo», is dedicated to this tradition.
Why it is worth the trip
Those who arrive in San Marcellino during the feast days will encounter a community ritual that the town prepares for months, where the physical exertion of the pallbearers becomes a public prayer. Participation is free and open to all, and the festival attracts devotees and curious visitors from all over the Agro Aversano, between Caserta and Naples. Those who have never attended a Campanian patronal feast will understand here, in just a few hours, why this form of popular devotion has been inscribed in the intangible heritage of the Campania Region.
Feast of Saint Marcellinus — edition 2026
A month of celebration in the Municipality of San Marcellino
For 2026, the Municipality of San Marcellino, in the province of Caserta, announced an unusually long festive period: from May 24th to June 21st, 2026, centered around the patron saint's liturgical feast on Tuesday, June 2nd, and concluding on the Sunday of the Octave. The official program was published by the administration as a PDF attachment on the institutional website, with the final update on June 4th, 2026.
The Feast Committee already established
The June 2026 Feast Committee was announced well in advance on the Facebook page of the Solemn Festivities in honor of Saint Marcellinus Priest and Martyr, which accompanied the entire edition with updates and live footage. As every year, the committee, representing the Parish, coordinated the pallbearers, the band, the illuminations, and the pyrotechnic display.
The Dance of the Saint through the streets
In 2026, the most anticipated moment remained the Ballo del Santo: the 250-kilogram statue carried on shoulders, the pallbearers kneeling and rising to the rhythm of the band, and the crowd raising their arms as the patron saint passed by. A tradition that has been officially part of the Intangible Heritage of the Campania Region since 2021 and continues to draw faithful from all over the Agro Aversano to San Marcellino.
Programme Feast of Saint Marcellinus 2026
The official program for the 2026 edition was published by the Municipality of San Marcellino as a PDF attachment on the event page of the institutional website (last update June 4th, 2026) and distributed by the Parish together with the Feast Committee. The main stages, according to the municipal calendar and established tradition:
- From May 24th, 2026: Opening of the festive period, with preparatory celebrations and the novena in the Mother Church.
- Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026: Liturgical feast of the patron Saint Marcellinus priest and martyr, with solemn celebrations in the Mother Church of Saint Marcellinus the Martyr, on Via Palma.
- Procession days: According to tradition, the procession takes place on Saturday and Sunday and is repeated on the Sunday of the Octave; at the end, the pallbearers perform the Dance of the Saint to the rhythm of the Banda di Pietro.
- Throughout the period: Illuminations in all the streets of the town, stalls, and rides in the town center.
- Sunday, June 21st, 2026: Closing of the festivities, traditionally accompanied by the final fireworks display.
Highlights Feast of Saint Marcellinus 2026
- The Ballo del Santo, recognized since 2021 as an Intangible Heritage of the Campania Region.
- The patron saint's statue, approximately 250 kilograms, carried on shoulders by a corps of about 120 uniformed pallbearers in three shifts.
- The accompaniment of the historic Banda di Pietro, which sets the rhythm for the dance.
- The procession repeated on the Sunday of the Octave, with faithful arriving from all over the Agro Aversano.
- The illuminations that adorn all the town's streets for weeks.
- The fireworks display that officially closes the festivities.
Prices Feast of Saint Marcellinus 2026
Practical information — Feast of Saint Marcellinus
Where it takes place
The center of the festival is the Mother Church of Saint Marcellinus the Martyr, at Via Palma 38, 81030 San Marcellino (CE). Processions and the Dance of the Saint take place along the main streets of the town center.
How to get there
San Marcellino is located in the Agro Aversano, a few kilometers from Aversa, on the border between the provinces of Caserta and Naples. By car, it can be reached via the local Agro Aversano road network; by train, the reference station for the area is Aversa, served by regional connections from Naples and Caserta, from where you can continue via local bus services.
Costs
Participation in the celebrations at the Mother Church, the processions, and the fireworks display is free and held outdoors. Only stalls, rides, and food/drink purchases are subject to payment.
Tips
On the evenings of the processions, the streets of the center are very crowded and partially closed to traffic: it is advisable to arrive early, park on the outskirts, and check the updated program on the website of the Municipality of San Marcellino or on the official page of the Solemn Festivities in honor of Saint Marcellinus Priest and Martyr.
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Where does it take place — Feast of Saint Marcellinus
Chiesa Madre di San Marcellino Martire
Via Palma 38, 81030 San Marcellino