Saint Anthony Abbot Festival in Zagarolo

A tradition alive since the 17th century

The Saint Anthony Abbot Festival is the first major folk event of the year in Zagarolo, a historic village in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, nestled in the heart of the Prenestini Mountains in Lazio. The event, which celebrates its 369th anniversary in 2026, has roots dating back to the mid-1600s and is deeply intertwined with the life of the town. Saint Anthony Abbot, the protector of animals and the rural world, has always been the saint of farmers, breeders, and families who have lived off the land for generations.

Organizers

The event is organized by the Confraternity of Saint Anthony Abbot in collaboration with the Parish of Saint Peter the Apostle, with the involvement of the Saint Anthony Abbot Society and the patronage of the Municipality of Zagarolo. It is a collective celebration, built by the community for the community: confreres, priors, families, and volunteers work for weeks to prepare the celebrations, the floats, and the grand final parade.

The triduum and religious dimension

The first days of the festival are dedicated to prayer: the triduum in honor of Saint Anthony Abbot takes place in the parish church with holy masses and solemn celebrations, accompanied by the banner and sacred images of the saint. It is the spiritual heart of the event, uniting popular devotion and collective memory.

The January 17th bonfire

The most evocative moment occurs on the evening of January 17th, the liturgical feast day of Saint Anthony Abbot. After mass, a massive bonfire is lit in the square—a purifying fire that, in the rural tradition of Lazio, marks the end of winter and brings good fortune to the new agricultural year. The whole town gathers around the flames in the convivial atmosphere typical of the Castelli Romani and Prenestini Mountains, where the fire of Saint Anthony is a ritual passed down through generations.

The parade and blessing of the animals

The final Sunday is the day of the grand parade: a procession featuring allegorical and agricultural floats, animals, farm machinery, confraternities, and traditional costumes travels through the historic center along the canonical route from Borgo San Martino to Piazza Indipendenza, passing through Piazza Guglielmo Marconi and Via Antonio Fabrini. Hundreds of participants turn the village streets into an open-air stage. The procession culminates with the solemn blessing of animals, farm machinery, and vehicles, a gesture that renews the bond between the community and its rural roots.

The flag and the new standard-bearer

A key identity moment of the festival is the assignment of the Saint Anthony Flag: at the end of the celebrations, the flag is handed over to the new standard-bearer, who will have the honor of guarding it until the following edition. It is one of the most cherished rituals for the people of Zagarolo, passed down along with the traditional offering that accompanies the assignment.

Why visit

• It is one of the oldest and most structured Saint Anthony Abbot festivals in Lazio, with over three and a half centuries of documented history.
• The evening bonfire on January 17th is an authentic experience of popular tradition.
• The parade with animals and farm machinery is a living narrative of the Prenestini rural culture.
• Zagarolo, with its Baroque historic center and Palazzo Rospigliosi, is well worth a visit just half an hour from Rome.