Saint Rita of Cascia Festival - Casalotti
Nine days of devotion, music, and community spirit in the Roman district of Casalotti
About Saint Rita Casalotti Festival
A patronal festival in the heart of Casalotti
The Saint Rita of Cascia Festival is the most anticipated event of the year for Casalotti, a neighborhood on the northwestern outskirts of Rome, in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Lazio. For nine days, between mid and late May, the parish on Vicolo di Casalotti and the surrounding streets become the hub of a celebration that blends intense religious devotion with genuine popular festivities.
Saint Rita of Cascia, the Augustinian nun from Umbria invoked as the saint of impossible causes, is deeply venerated in Rome. In Casalotti, this devotion has deep roots: the parish named after her was founded in the late 1950s when the neighborhood was still a developing suburb on the edge of the city, and the church was built in the early 1960s under the guidance of Father Armando Curzi. Since then, the community—which belongs to the suburbicarian diocese of Porto-Santa Rufina—has celebrated its patron saint with a festival that also serves as a collective memory for the district.
The religious side: novena, roses, and procession
The spiritual heart of the festival is the novena, with evening masses and meditative rosaries accompanying the faithful until May 22nd, the liturgical feast day of Saint Rita. On the evening of May 21st, the Transit of Saint Rita is celebrated, one of the most poignant moments in the entire parish calendar.
- Blessing of the roses: the most cherished symbolic gesture of devotion to Saint Rita, linked to the story of the rose that bloomed in mid-winter in her garden in Roccaporena.
- Solemn Mass on the patron saint's day, presided over by a prominent celebrant from the Church of Rome.
- Procession with the statue of the saint through the neighborhood streets, accompanied by a marching band.
- Eucharistic adoration animated by singing and vocational testimonies.
The popular side: music, sports, and community dining
As soon as you step outside the church, the festival changes pace. Throughout the event, the square and parish halls host food stalls run by volunteers, serving Roman and Lazio cuisine at affordable prices, while the evenings are filled with non-stop entertainment: dance orchestras, local bands, karaoke, comedy shows, and concerts.
There is also a sports and recreational component, with a 5-a-side football tournament that kicks off the festival, traditional games for all ages, and a charity lottery with proceeds supporting the parish's charitable works. The Fagiolata—a community dinner featuring bean soup—has become a ritual that draws hundreds of people to the same tables every year.
Fireworks and grand finale
The conclusion is marked, as is tradition for Lazio's patronal festivals, by a fireworks display: fireworks light up the sky over Casalotti to seal nine days of celebration, accompanied by an orchestra on stage. It is the moment when the entire neighborhood, believers and non-believers alike, gathers with eyes turned upward.
Why it's worth visiting
Casalotti does not appear in tourist guidebooks for Rome, and that is precisely why its patronal festival is so precious: it is an unfiltered event where no one is performing for visitors. Those who want to understand how Roman popular tradition is experienced far from the historic center, between the Aurelio and Boccea areas, will find a rare opportunity here. Admission to all events is free, and the welcome is that of a community opening its home.
Not to be confused with other Roman celebrations dedicated to Saint Rita, particularly those at the Basilica of Sant'Agostino: the Casalotti festival is a neighborhood event with its own completely independent program.
Saint Rita Casalotti Festival — edition 2026
Nine days of celebration in Casalotti
The 2026 edition confirmed the proven formula of the Casalotti patronal festival: from Saturday, May 16 to Sunday, May 24, the parish on Vicolo di Casalotti alternated liturgical celebrations and popular events, with the church open daily for prayer, food stalls active from late afternoon, distribution of blessed roses, and a charity lottery.
Highlights
Thursday, May 21, the eve of the patron saint's day, featured the commemoration of the Transit of Saint Rita, followed by the traditional Fagiolata and the theatrical performance CorRita. Friday, May 22, the saint's day, opened with morning masses and the Supplication to Saint Rita at noon, culminating in the 6:00 PM solemn mass presided over by Cardinal Baldo Reina and the procession with the marching band.
Musical finale
The final weekend combined the Pentecost Vigil on Saturday with the 70 times 7 concert, while Sunday, May 24, the Solemnity of Pentecost, featured afternoon popular games and a final evening with the Daniele Melody orchestra and a fireworks display.
Programme Saint Rita Casalotti Festival 2026
Saturday, May 16
- 4:00 PM — 5-a-side football tournament
- 7:30 PM — Opening of food stalls and entertainment
- 9:00 PM — Dance evening with the Giampiero Marino Band
Sunday, May 17
- Holy masses according to the holiday schedule; vocational testimony at the 11:30 AM mass
- Evening — Food stalls and musical entertainment
Monday, May 18
- 9:00 PM — Eucharistic adoration animated by singing
Tuesday, May 19
- 8:30 PM — Karaoke evening with Renato Casieri
Wednesday, May 20
- 9:00 PM — Musical evening with F. Grossi
Thursday, May 21 — Eve and Transit of Saint Rita
- 6:00 PM — Holy mass and commemoration of the Transit of Saint Rita
- Followed by — Fagiolata, community dinner in the parish spaces
- 9:00 PM — Theatrical show CorRita with Chicco & Co
Friday, May 22 — Solemnity of Saint Rita
- Holy masses throughout the day
- 12:00 PM — Supplication to Saint Rita
- 6:00 PM — Solemn mass presided over by Cardinal Baldo Reina
- Followed by — Procession through the neighborhood streets
- 9:00 PM — Concert by the William Barocchi Band
Saturday, May 23
- 6:00 PM — Pentecost Vigil
- 9:00 PM — 70 times 7 concert
Sunday, May 24 — Pentecost
- Holy masses according to the holiday schedule
- 4:00 PM — Popular games
- 9:00 PM — Daniele Melody orchestra and closing fireworks display
Throughout the festival: church open for prayer, food stalls, distribution of blessed roses, religious goods stall, and charity lottery.
Highlights Saint Rita Casalotti Festival 2026
- Solemn mass on May 22nd presided over by Cardinal Baldo Reina
- Procession with the statue of Saint Rita through the streets of Casalotti, accompanied by a band
- Commemoration of the Transit of Saint Rita and the Fagiolata on May 21st
- Theatrical show CorRita with Chicco & Co
- Blessing and distribution of roses
- Closing fireworks display on Pentecost Sunday
Prices Saint Rita Casalotti Festival 2026
Practical information — Saint Rita Casalotti Festival
Where
Parrocchia Santa Rita da Cascia, Vicolo di Casalotti 3, 00166 Rome (Casalotti district, Boccea-Aurelio area).
How to get there
By car: Take exit 1 (Aurelia) or exit 2 (Boccea) from the Grande Raccordo Anulare, then follow Via di Casalotti. Parking is available in the neighborhood streets; arriving early on peak evenings is recommended.
By public transport: ATAC bus lines serve Via di Casalotti and Via Boccea; connections to the Cornelia metro station (Line A) are available via surface lines.
Admission and prices
All religious events and evening shows are free of charge. Food stalls and the charity lottery operate on a donation basis or at affordable prices, with proceeds supporting the parish's works.
Contacts
Parish phone: +39 06 2050630 — Oratory: +39 06 2051819. Parish office open Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM; Saturday 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Tips
The busiest evenings are May 21st and 22nd (the eve and the day of the patron saint) and the closing night with the fireworks. Bring clothing suitable for the evening: in May, Roman temperatures drop after sunset.
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Where does it take place — Saint Rita Casalotti Festival
Parrocchia Santa Rita da Cascia - Casalotti
Vicolo di Casalotti 3, 00166 Roma