Sagra delle Regne

A festival born from the grain

The Sagra delle Regne is the most cherished event in Minturno, a town in the province of Latina, southern Lazio, overlooking the Gulf of Gaeta between the Garigliano River and the Aurunci Mountains. The name comes from the local dialect term regne, derived from Latin, referring to the sheaves of wheat bound after the harvest: carrying them in procession meant—and still means—symbolically returning a portion of the earth's bounty to the Madonna delle Grazie, the community's patron saint.

The roots of the celebration lie in Greco-Roman agrarian rites and the Marian devotion of the ancient village of Traetto, the current historic center. The modern form of the festival dates back to the early 19th century; interrupted by the destruction of World War II, which hit the Garigliano front hard, the festival was revived in the post-war period and has been celebrated every year since on the second Sunday of July, reaching its seventy-second edition in 2026.

The votive floats of the districts

The heart of the event is the parade of votive floats: ten floats, one for each district of Minturno, built and decorated for weeks by local families with wheat ears, flowers, branches, and grain compositions. Pulled through the streets of the historic center, they accompany the statue of the Madonna delle Grazie along with ribbon-adorned oxen, groups in traditional costume, and women carrying bowls full of threshed grain on their heads.

The offering of the trescato, the grain threshed on the threshing floor, is the ritual act that concludes the procession: a collective thanksgiving for the harvest that renews the memory of the rural civilization of lower Lazio.

International folklore and historical reenactment

Alongside its religious dimension, the Sagra delle Regne has opened up over the years to become a true international folklore festival. Folk dance and music groups from different continents parade along the Scauri seafront and animate the squares of the village, creating a cultural exchange that has become one of the event's hallmarks.

The historical component is also significant: the medieval evening in the old town and the reenactment of the landing of the corsair Dragut, who attacked the Minturno coast in 1552, conclude with the burning of the castle, a fireworks display that illuminates the village walls and is for many the most anticipated moment of the entire summer.

Traditional flavors

• Grain-based dishes and Aurunca rural cuisine, from homemade pasta to legumes
• Extra virgin olive oil and wines from the Garigliano area
• Fresh fish from the Gulf of Gaeta during evenings on the Scauri seafront
• Traditional pastries linked to the patronal feast

When to go and what to expect

The best days are the central ones, featuring the float parade and the Sunday procession: it is best to arrive in the late afternoon when the heat subsides and the village fills with life. The historic center of Minturno, with its tower and medieval alleys, can be visited on foot in a short time; a few kilometers away are the archaeological area of Minturnae, with its Roman theater and aqueduct, and the beaches of Scauri, within the Riviera di Ulisse Regional Park.

More than just a tourist event, the Sagra delle Regne remains a community feast: visitors are welcomed into a collective liturgy that Minturno has been repeating for over two centuries.