Saint Rita Festival

The Saint Rita Festival in Vico del Gargano

In Vico del Gargano, a village perched 445 meters high on the Gargano promontory in the province of Foggia, the Saint Rita Festival is one of the community's most cherished religious events. For about ten days in mid-May, village life revolves around the church that houses the cult of the saint: evening novenas, holy masses, the blessing of the roses, and the procession transform the alleys of the historic center into a path of faith and popular tradition. In 2025, the festival took place from May 12th to 22nd, culminating on Saint Rita's liturgical feast day.

Who was Saint Rita, the Saint of the Impossible?

Saint Rita of Cascia, an Augustinian nun who lived in 15th-century Umbria, is one of Italy's most beloved saints. Invoked as the saint of the impossible and lost causes, she is the patroness of those facing difficult trials, illnesses, and family sorrows. Her symbol is the rose, which according to tradition bloomed in the heart of winter; for this reason, the blessing of the roses is the devotional gesture that accompanies her festival everywhere, and in Vico del Gargano, it marks the most attended moment of the celebrations.

A village of love that gathers around its saint

Vico del Gargano is known as the Village of Love: its patron saint is Saint Valentine, and every February the town is adorned with oranges and citrus fruits in honor of the saint of lovers. This same community, made of narrow alleys, stairways, and small squares in the medieval historic center—including the famous 'Vicolo del Bacio' (Kiss Alley)—experiences devotion to Saint Rita with equal intensity in the spring. The festival is an opportunity to rediscover one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy, nestled in the Foresta Umbra and overlooking the Gargano coast in the heart of Puglia.

How the festival unfolds

• The Novena: in the days leading up to May 22nd, evening masses and prayer sessions in church prepare the community for the feast.
• The blessing of the roses: the symbolic gesture linked to Saint Rita, with the faithful bringing roses to the altar.
• The procession: on the day of the feast, the statue of the saint travels through the village alleys accompanied by the community.
• The popular celebration: next to the churchyard, moments of music and sharing with choral singing enliven the final evening.

The 2026 edition

The dates for the 2026 edition of the Saint Rita Festival in Vico del Gargano have not yet been announced. As per tradition, the festival is expected in May, culminating on the saint's liturgical feast day. The detailed program—celebration times, novena, and procession—is usually released by the parish community in the weeks preceding the event.