Saint Mark's Festival

The patron saint's festival of Ponzano di Fermo

In the small village of Ponzano di Fermo, in the province of Fermo, in the heart of the Marche hills between the Adriatic Sea and the Sibillini Mountains, the Saint Mark's Festival is the most cherished event of spring. On April 25th, the community celebrates its patron saint, Saint Mark the Evangelist, with a program that combines religious and civic dimensions, while the following day, April 26th, the village comes alive with the ancient Saint Mark's Fair.

A tradition dating back to the 16th century

The festival is not a recent event: its origin is linked to the renowned Saint Mark's Fair, granted by Pope Paul III in 1537. It was precisely the development of this commercial fair that led to the renaming, around 1530, of the ancient Romanesque church of Santa Maria Mater Domini, which from then on was known as the church of Saint Mark. Even today, in the apse of the 12th-century church just outside the town, 17th-century frescoes depicting Saint Mark alongside the lion, the evangelist's iconographic symbol, are preserved.

The program for the two days

The festival traditionally unfolds over two days:

• April 25th — day dedicated to the patron saint, with religious celebrations and the civic program in the historic center of the village.
• April 26th — the Saint Mark's Fair, organized by Pro Loco Tre Colli, with street vendors and stalls of typical products animating the streets and squares of the town.

The organization is managed by Pro Loco Tre Colli, the association that has been promoting the traditions of Ponzano di Fermo and its hamlets of Torchiaro and Capparuccia for years.

A village to discover

Visiting Ponzano di Fermo during the Saint Mark's Festival is also an opportunity to discover an authentic Marche village: the medieval Torrione with its Gothic arches, the historic churches, and the panoramic views of the hills sloping down to the sea. The patron saint's recurrence remains a moment of strong community identity, capable of attracting residents and visitors from the neighboring municipalities of the Province of Fermo.