Sacred Ampulla Festival

The Sacred Ampulla Festival in Ortona

In the town of Ortona, overlooking the Adriatic in the province of Chieti, the Sacred Ampulla Festival is the event that unites the entire community around one of the most venerated relics in Abruzzo: the ampulla containing the Blood of Christ. Promoted by the Anno Domini 1566 association, the festival spans the entire month of June, from the 2nd to the 29th, with a rich calendar of religious and cultural initiatives.

A relic linked to the miracle of 1566

The devotion is rooted in an event that occurred on June 13, 1566: according to tradition, while some Cistercian nuns were in prayer, blood flowed from the fresco of the Crucifix kept in the oratory and was collected in two ampullae. Shortly after, the city was attacked by the Turks, but the convent remained miraculously unharmed. The ampullae were later stolen and taken to Venice; only on June 29, 1934, after more than three and a half centuries, did one of the two return to Ortona, where it is still kept in the Oratory of the Crucifix, next to the church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria.

The festival program

The event alternates moments of spiritual reflection with cultural offerings open to all:

• Historical exhibition "The Sacred Ampulla from 1566 to today", set up in the church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria and dedicated to the history of the relic and popular devotion.
• Preparatory triduum, with the exposition of the Sacred Ampulla and Holy Mass, the heart of the Ortona community's prayer.
• Concerts, including a candlelight evening featuring orchestral ensembles and a classical music concert for harp and flute with students from the "Luisa D'Annunzio" Conservatory of Pescara.
• Solemn celebration of June 29, the anniversary of the relic's return, with morning and solemn evening Holy Mass.

Faith and identity on the Trabocchi Coast

More than just a religious anniversary, the Sacred Ampulla Festival is a cornerstone of the identity of Ortona, a city on the Trabocchi Coast also known for the Basilica of Saint Thomas the Apostle. Throughout the year, the relic is also the protagonist of a "Peregrinatio" that takes it to visit other Abruzzo towns such as Vasto, Lanciano, and Sulmona, a sign of a devotion that transcends city boundaries and involves the entire region.