Patronal Feast of Saints Peter and Paul in EUR

A patronal feast in the heart of EUR

June 29th is a date in Rome that means more than any other: it is the solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, patrons of the city and the universal Church. In the Capital, the anniversary is primarily experienced in the Vatican and along the Via Ostiense, but there is also a local celebration that has become increasingly recognizable in recent years: the patronal feast of the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in EUR, in the Municipality of Rome, province of Rome, Lazio Region.

The Basilica stands at the highest point of the EUR district, on Piazzale dei Santi Pietro e Paolo, and its 32-meter diameter hemispherical dome dominates the entire rationalist urban layout planned in the 1930s. Opened for worship in 1955 based on a design by Arnaldo Foschini and his collaborators, established as a parish in 1958 and consecrated in 1966, it became a minor basilica on June 29th, 1967: the feast of the patrons thus coincides with the most important date in the building's history.

The procession on the lake: a tradition born in 2026

In 2026, the parish, led by parish priest Father Luca Atzeni, gave the district a new and immediately defining gesture. In the late afternoon of June 29th, on the waters of the EUR lake, three dragon boat vessels and several canoes accompanied the Cross and the statues of the two Apostles toward the shore, in an aquatic procession followed by many faithful along the banks. Rowing alongside the crews were also the athletes of the «Women in Pink» association, breast cancer survivors who practice dragon boat racing: a detail that gave the evening a human value beyond the devotional one.

Once the statues landed, the procession walked up the monumental stairs that connect the avenue below to the churchyard, up to the entrance of the Basilica. There, the Solemn Mass was celebrated, presided over by Auxiliary Bishop Monsignor Andrea Carlevale and concelebrated by numerous priests and religious, in the presence of the civil and military authorities of the Municipality.

What to see during the festival

• The aquatic procession on the EUR lake, with dragon boats and canoes: the most photographed and original moment of the entire day.
• The ascent of the stairs toward the churchyard, with the Cross and the statues carried on shoulders.
• The Solemn Mass in the Basilica, under the large dome decorated with mosaics and sculptures dedicated to the two Apostles.
• The panoramic churchyard, one of the most evocative spots in EUR, overlooking the district and the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana.

Why it is worth a visit

On June 29th, most visitors congregate between St. Peter's and St. Paul Outside the Walls. Those who choose EUR instead find an intimate and authentic popular festival, where devotion to the patrons intertwines with the life of a modern district: families, parishioners, sports associations, and people looking out from the lake's bridges. It is one of the few Roman processions that take place on water, and the parish itself has presented it as «a new tradition» destined to grow over the years.

The context: the patrons of Rome

Peter, a fisherman from Galilee and the first Pope, and Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, were both martyred in Rome in the 1st century. Their joint commemoration on June 29th is the most deeply felt civil and religious holiday in the city: in Rome, it is a public holiday, with offices and many schools closed. In Lazio, the anniversary marks the opening of the summer patronal feast season, and the EUR celebration represents one of its most curious and successful expressions today.

Entrance and participation

Participation in the procession and the Mass is free and open to all, without reservation. Those wishing to follow the passage of the boats can position themselves along the banks of the lake or on the park's pedestrian bridges, where the view is best, arriving with some time to spare before the departure time.