Patronal Feast of San Francesco de Geronimo

The Patronal Feast of Grottaglie

The Patronal Feast of San Francesco de Geronimo is the most heartfelt moment of the year for Grottaglie, the famous city of ceramics in the province of Taranto, Apulia. Every year, between late August and the first Sunday of September, the entire community gathers around its patron saint in a long series of liturgical celebrations and civil festivities that bring the historic center, churches, and town squares to life.

San Francesco de Geronimo, the Patron Saint

San Francesco de Geronimo was born in Grottaglie on December 17, 1642. He joined the Society of Jesus and became a tireless popular preacher, particularly in Naples, where he passed away on May 11, 1716. He was proclaimed patron saint of Grottaglie by Pope Gregory XVI on May 3, 1844. His mortal remains arrived at the local Sanctuary on August 26, 1945; the anniversary of this arrival inspired the major late-summer festivities, which marked their 80th anniversary in 2025.

The Novena and the Solemnity

The religious heart of the festival is the novena, which begins in late August at the Mother Church of Maria SS. Annunziata with evening Eucharistic celebrations led by clergy from across the Archdiocese of Taranto. The Sanctuary of San Francesco de Geronimo, built in 1832 and designated a sanctuary in 1941, also plays a central role as it houses the saint's birthplace. The solemnity culminates on the first Sunday of September with a concelebrated mass led by the Archbishop of Taranto.

The Procession and Civil Festivities

The most anticipated moment is the solemn evening procession, which carries the statue of the saint through the streets of the historic center to the notes of the "Città di Grottaglie" town band. Alongside the devotional aspect, the civil program features concerts in Piazza San Francesco de Geronimo and Piazza Regina Margherita, musical performances, tournaments, dance evenings, and stalls offering Apulian delicacies, from panzerotti to local traditional products.

Grottaglie, the City of Ceramics

Experiencing the patronal feast is also an opportunity to discover Grottaglie and its renowned Ceramics Quarter, where artisan workshops have passed down the potter's art for centuries. Nestled between the Murgia hills of Taranto and the Ionian Sea, the town of Grottaglie offers visitors an intimate and charming historic center, the perfect backdrop for one of the most deeply rooted religious traditions in the province of Taranto.