Procession of the Holy Martyrs ("All Saints" / "Market Gardeners' Saints")

A tradition unparalleled in Cilento

In the municipality of Laureana Cilento, in the province of Salerno, in the heart of the Cilento region of Campania, the week following Easter is not just a simple extension of the Easter season: it is the moment of the Procession of the Holy Martyrs, a rite that locals also call the "All Saints" procession or, with a name that reveals its deep origins, the "Market Gardeners' Saints" procession. The local press describes it as a true unicum in the landscape of local traditions, because in very few other places does the entire set of statues of a church emerge together, on the same day, through the streets of the town.

Nine martyrs and the patron saint San Cono

The starting point is the mother church of Santa Maria del Paradiso, a building rebuilt at the end of the 16th century and the religious heart of the village, where the effigy of San Cono, patron saint of Laureana, is also kept. At the end of the solemn celebration, the statues of the martyrs kept in the parish — nine in all — emerge in an orderly fashion, one after the other, from the church portal. Closing the procession is the statue of San Cono, which accompanies and "protects" the parade of Saints along the entire route.

The scenic effect is remarkable: the statues, carried on the shoulders of the faithful, go up and down the narrow alleys that climb through the historic center, among stone houses, arches, and squares overlooking the Cilento countryside. It is not a parade designed for tourists, but a popular liturgy lived by the community, with the participation of local families and Cilento emigrants who return for the occasion.

Why "Market Gardeners' Saints": the peasant roots

The nickname "Market Gardeners' Saints" is no coincidence. According to local lore, the rite has its roots in ancient peasant customs aimed at ensuring a good harvest: taking all the village Saints out meant asking for total, collective protection over vegetable gardens, fields, and crops during the decisive spring season. In a historically agricultural territory like Cilento — olives, vines, vegetables, arable land — the blessing of the fields during the Easter season had a very concrete value, and that bond between devotion and land has remained written in the popular name of the festival.

The village of Laureana, historical capital of Cilento

Laureana Cilento is a small hillside municipality that developed around the castellum Lauri, built at the end of the 9th century to face Saracen incursions. Many scholars consider it the historical capital of Cilento: in 1489 it was the most populous center of the district and hosted important fairs, such as the San Lorenzo market, which held its own against the great markets of the Kingdom of Naples. Today the municipal territory also includes the hamlets of Matonti and San Martino, and preserves a remarkable religious heritage: the noble chapel of the SS. Annunziata, the convents of San Michele and San Francesco, and the sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Acquasanta.

A calendar of festivals that marks the year

The Procession of the Holy Martyrs is the first major devotional event of the spring season in Laureana, but not the only one. The town's calendar continues with:

• Madonna dell'Acquasanta, celebrated on the Tuesday after Pentecost, one of the most attended recurrences in the municipality;
• San Cono, patron saint, celebrated on June 3rd with a procession and fireworks display;
• Madonna del Carmelo, on July 16th in the hamlet of Matonti;
• San Martino, on November 11th in the hamlet of the same name, with a festive reprise on the last Sunday of July.

When it takes place

The date is movable and follows the liturgical calendar: the procession always falls on Divine Mercy Sunday, i.e., the first Sunday after Easter. In 2026, the appointment was set for Sunday, April 12th. Those who wish to attend must therefore check the date of Easter each year, or the notices from the parish of Santa Maria del Paradiso.

How to experience it

Participation is free and open to all. As this is a heartfelt religious rite and not a spectacular event, sober clothing, silence during prayer stops, and discretion in taking photographs are recommended, especially when the statues leave the church. The advice is to arrive in the village before the morning solemn mass to find parking in the lower part of the center and walk up: the alleys traveled by the procession are narrow and steep, and are much better enjoyed without a car.