Saint Anthony of Padua Fair and Patronal Feast

The saint who brings the people of Bisaccia home

In Bisaccia, a village in the Alta Irpinia area of the Avellino province, June 13th is no ordinary date. It is the feast day of Saint Anthony of Padua, the town's patron saint, and for the community, it marks the true beginning of summer. An old local saying captures it better than any chronicle: "O Sant'Antonio a Vsazza, o la vesazza nguodd" — either you return to Bisaccia for Saint Anthony, or you pack your bag and leave. Local farmhands who traveled to Puglia for the harvest would set a non-negotiable condition with their employers: to be free on June 13th to return home, even at the cost of losing their contract. This is the origin of a festival that embodies devotion, homecoming, and collective identity.

The religious program

The spiritual journey begins well before the three days of festivities: from May 30th to June 11th, the Tredicina is celebrated at the Convent Church, with daily Eucharistic celebrations and prayers. June 11th is traditionally the day for the investiture of new confreres and the blessing with the Saint's relic.

• June 12th — Vespers: one of the oldest and most attended moments. The procession moves from the Town Hall to the church, where the municipal administration performs the offering of the candles that will burn all year at the Saint's Chapel, as a sign of gratitude and protection. This is followed by the solemn liturgy of Vespers, usually presided over by the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi-Conza-Nusco-Bisaccia, and the blessing and distribution of bread.
• June 13th — The Solemnity: multiple Eucharistic celebrations take place throughout the day, with the solemn noon mass presided over by the Archbishop and the solemn procession with the statue of the Saint through the town streets, amidst hymns, incense, and crowds of devotees.

The Saint Anthony Fair

The secular side of the event opens on June 11th at 9:00 AM with the firing of firecrackers, marking the inauguration of the Saint Anthony Fair along Viale Vittorio Emanuele III: a traditional merchant fair featuring all kinds of stalls, local Irpinian products, household goods, and agricultural tools. It is the moment when the town fills with visitors from the neighboring municipalities of Alta Irpinia and the Baronia.

Illuminations, brass bands, and concerts in Piazza Duomo

As evening falls, streets and squares light up with artistic illuminations, while food stalls and rides for children bring the center to life. June 12th is the evening of the grand lyrical-symphonic brass band concert, a sophisticated and beloved appointment of southern festive tradition, featuring guest ensembles arriving from Puglia. On June 13th, Piazza Duomo hosts the major evening concert with free admission: over the years, it has featured important names in Italian music, from Francesco Baccini to Eugenio Finardi, up to Lorenzo Fragola in 2026. At midnight, eyes turn toward the Monticello, where the fireworks display officially closes the festival.

Bisaccia and Alta Irpinia

The municipality of Bisaccia overlooks the Ofanto valley from above, at the extreme eastern border of Campania, a short distance from Basilicata and Puglia. The village preserves the Ducal Castle with its Norman tower, the Civic Archaeological Museum, and an urban fabric that still bears the marks of the reconstruction following the 1980 earthquake. The patronal feast also revolves around local cuisine — wood-fired bread, cheeses, grilled meats, homemade desserts — and that network of family ties that, for three days, brings emigrants scattered across Italy and abroad back to the village.

Why it's worth the trip

• An authentic patronal feast, not touristy, where the religious ritual counts as much as the secular side.
• The Vespers of June 12th with the offering of candles and blessed bread: a community ritual rarely seen elsewhere.
• Free evening concerts in a village-sized square, featuring national artists.
• An excellent gateway to discover Alta Irpinia, its landscape, and its food and wine.