Patronal Feast of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino

A festival that defines the identity of Montoro

In Montoro, a town in the province of Avellino formed in 2013 by the merger of Montoro Inferiore and Montoro Superiore, September 10th is no ordinary date: it is the day of the patron saint, Saint Nicholas of Tolentino. The heart of the festivities lies in the Piano di Montoro district, home to the parish church of San Giovanni Battista and Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, as well as the central Piazza Michele Pironti, where the town hall is located. For a few days, the square becomes the community's living room, with the church facade glowing under festive lights and worshippers arriving from neighboring towns.

Who was Nicholas of Tolentino?

Born in Castel Sant'Angelo, in the current province of Macerata, in 1245, Nicholas joined the Order of Saint Augustine at a very young age in 1259. From 1275, he lived in the convent of Tolentino, in the Marche region, where he remained until his death on September 10, 1305: the date that marks the liturgical feast celebrated in Montoro. Hagiographic sources highlight his gentleness, mercy, commitment to preaching the Gospel, long hours spent in the confessional, and his patient work in reconciling feuding families. It is this image of a humble, people-oriented saint that the local devotion remains deeply attached to.

The religious calendar

The solemnity is prepared by a novena—or sometimes a seven-day prayer—culminating in a solemn triduum with evening masses. On the day of the feast, the church opens early: masses are held hourly throughout the morning until 11:00 AM, when the solemn mass is celebrated with a homily. When the influx of pilgrims is particularly large, the rite moves outdoors to the square to accommodate everyone. A traditional highlight is the blessing with the Saint's relic, one of the most anticipated moments for the faithful.

The procession with the statue

The afternoon of September 10th is dedicated to the procession, which winds through the streets of Piano di Montoro for nearly three hours. The statue of Saint Nicholas is carried on the shoulders of devotees, accompanied by parish associations, confraternities, civil authorities, and the mayor. Along the route, a renowned brass band performs traditional southern marches, setting the pace for the procession and marking stops in front of the homes of the faithful.

The civil program: brass bands, lights, and music in the square

In the evening, the spotlight is on the brass band concert, featuring a program chosen from the operatic repertoire—a custom that represents a true open-air popular opera season in Southern Italy. During the days surrounding the feast, the Committee also organizes live music evenings with singers and bands of national fame, alongside family entertainment and the inevitable stalls selling sweets and nougat that accompany every Campanian patronal feast.

The legend of the oxen

Local oral tradition preserves a story regarding the arrival of the Saint's bust: upon reaching the railway station, the statue was supposedly pulled by oxen not toward the intended destination, but toward Piano, where the animals stopped. The community interpreted this as a clear divine will, and since then, Piano di Montoro has been the recognized center of the cult of Saint Nicholas in the town.

Recent years and the Jubilee Year

Devotion to Saint Nicholas has experienced a particularly intense period in recent years. The parish celebrated a Jubilee Year in honor of the patron, opened with the rite of the Holy Door and marked by jubilees dedicated to specific categories—including prison officers, celebrated in Piazza Michele Pironti—in preparation for the 720th anniversary of the Saint's death. On that occasion, for the first time, the precious reliquary containing the blood-stained linens that wrapped Saint Nicholas's arms left the basilica of Tolentino to reach Montoro. On September 7, 2024, the town also welcomed the pastoral visit of the then-Cardinal Robert Prevost, who later became Pope Leo XIV, a bond the community has continued to celebrate in the following years.

How to experience the festival

The festival is free to attend: no tickets or reservations are required, neither for the church rites nor for the shows in the square. It is a perfect opportunity to discover Montoro away from classic tourist circuits, in an area famous for its Montoro copper onion, hazelnuts, and cherries.