Patronal Feast of the Holy Martyrs Costanzo, Simplicio and Vittoriano

A patronal feast in the heart of the Sannio

In Castelpoto, a small town of just over a thousand inhabitants perched at an altitude of 293 meters in the Province of Benevento, in Campania, the most anticipated festival of the year falls in mid-May. It is then that the village honors its patrons, the Holy Martyrs Costanzo, Simplicio, and Vittoriano, with a celebration that has intertwined religious devotion and village festivities for centuries: novenas, preached triduums, solemn masses, and processions of the statues along the alleys, as well as concerts in the square, a road race, fireworks, and outdoor banquets.

Who were the Holy Martyrs?

Hagiographic tradition tells of Simplicio, a Christian originally from Burgundy, who was beheaded along with his sons Costanzo and Vittoriano during the reign of Marcus Aurelius in the 2nd century. Their cult has been documented since at least the 11th century and remains very vibrant in two distant places: Celano, in Abruzzo, where the main relics rest, and indeed Castelpoto, which preserves a significant relic of Saint Costanzo. While the universal calendar remembers them on August 26th, the community of Castelpoto celebrates them on May 14th, a date that has marked the village calendar for generations.

The religious program

The devotional aspect is managed by the Parish of San Nicola Vescovo together with the SS. Martiri Festival Committee. In the days leading up to the anniversary, a novena, evening masses, and a preached triduum take place; the day of the patronage includes several Eucharistic celebrations, the laying of a wreath at the war memorial, a solemn mass with civil and military authorities, and the veneration of the relic of Saint Costanzo. In the late afternoon, the procession carries the statues of the three martyrs through the streets of the historic center, accompanied by the band and the entire population.

Music, sports, and Lombard re-enactment

Alongside the rites, the committee has for years organized a secular program that has made the festival famous in the Sannio region:

• musical evenings in the square, with street bands, Campanian folk music groups, and traditional dance performances;
• the road race "Corri nel Borgo" (Run in the Village), included in the FIDAL calendar, which tackles the climbs of the historic center;
• fireworks to close the festivities;
• in recent years, a Lombard historical re-enactment dedicated to the founding of Castelpoto, in period costume, in Piazza G. Garibaldi.

The red sausage, the star of the table

No festival in Castelpoto is complete without the red sausage, a local cured meat recognized as a Slow Food Presidium and made from pork seasoned with local dried peppers. The food stalls set up during the festivities offer it grilled, accompanied by other local products; in August, the handmade fusillo al ferretto shares the spotlight with it at the historic Fusillo Festival. For those arriving from outside, the patronal feast is also a delicious opportunity to discover peasant cuisine that has remained intact.

A Lombard village to discover

The origins of Castelpoto date back to the Samnite-Roman age, but it was in the Lombard era that the village took shape, before passing under Norman and then Swabian rule, within the orbit of Benevento. Worth seeing are the church of San Nicola da Mira, rebuilt in 1698, and the ducal palace of the Bartoli family. The municipality is investing in the cultural regeneration of the "Lombard village," and the costumed re-enactment of the patronal feast is now its most successful showcase.

When to go

The dates are concentrated every year around May 14th: in recent editions, the secular festivities have been distributed between the 12th and 15th of the month, with the weekend closest to the anniversary dedicated to the most popular events. The detailed program is released with posters displayed in the village and on the municipality's channels a few weeks prior. It is an authentic festival, not built for tourism: those looking for the truest Sannio will find one of its most sincere events here.