Saint George Patronal Feast

April 23rd: The Patron Saint's Day

The Saint George Patronal Feast is the most iconic annual event in Tarano, a small town in the Bassa Sabina area of the Rieti province, in Lazio. The celebration takes place every year on April 23rd, the day the liturgical calendar honors Saint George the Martyr. It is documented as a fixed annual tradition on the official website of the Municipality of Tarano. From morning until evening, the village comes alive with a free-entry celebration featuring religious processions, cultural events, performances, and markets—an occasion for the community to come together to celebrate their faith and roots.

A Millennial Village

The setting makes the festival even more evocative. The first records of the village of Tarano date back to 952, and on September 7, 1109, Pope Paschal II stopped here. The symbolic monument is the church of Santa Maria Assunta, built in the early 12th century and expanded in the 13th century to accommodate a growing population. Today, Tarano has about 1,400 inhabitants spread between the main town, perched at 234 meters above sea level, and the hamlets of San Polo, Borgonuovo, and San Giorgio: the very fact that a hamlet bears the saint's name shows how deeply the cult of the patron is intertwined with the local identity.

The Procession and Religious Rites

The spiritual heart of the day is the religious celebration in honor of the saint: the solemn mass and the procession that winds through the stone alleys of the historic center, accompanied by the faithful from the town and its hamlets. As in many villages in Lazio, the ritual renews an ancient bond between the community and its protector, the martyr knight venerated throughout Italy as a symbol of courage.

The Communal Banquet and Civic Festivities

Alongside the religious dimension, the Tarano tradition includes a communal banquet in the square, a convivial moment that gathers locals and visitors around the table. Between Piazza Marconi and the village streets, there are also markets, performances, and cultural appointments organized under the patronage of the Municipality, in a simple and genuine village atmosphere that is open to all and free of charge.

The Flavors of Sabina

The festival is also an opportunity to discover Sabina cuisine: Sabina PDO extra virgin olive oil, the flagship product of these hills; handmade pasta such as strozzapreti; porcini mushrooms and truffles from the surrounding woods; all accompanied by Colli della Sabina DOC wines. Those arriving in Tarano for Saint George can also take advantage of the local trails, starting with the Way of St. Francis, which crosses this green corner of the Rieti province among olive groves and medieval villages.