Saint Sebastian Patronal Festival

A patronal festival in the heart of Sabina

The Saint Sebastian Patronal Festival is the most cherished event of the year for Bocchignano, a hamlet of the Municipality of Montopoli di Sabina, in the province of Rieti, Lazio. Unlike many Italian communities that celebrate Saint Sebastian on January 20th, the main festival here is held in the height of summer, when the village can welcome back emigrants returning home and visitors exploring the olive-covered hills of Sabina.

For three days, the village's medieval fabric—cobbled alleys, arches, and small squares overlooking the valley—becomes a natural stage. It is a community festival, organized by local volunteers, where religious devotion and conviviality coexist seamlessly.

Bocchignano, one of the oldest castles in Sabina

Bocchignano is known as one of the oldest and most noble castles in Sabina: it stands on a rocky spur at the confluence of three streams, protected by a triple ring of walls and originally accessible only through a single entrance with a drawbridge. This setting explains why the festival has taken on a historical and evocative character over the years: the walls, gates, and stairways of the village naturally lend themselves to processions, torchlight parades, and medieval games.

Rites, re-enactments, and archery

The devotional heart of the festival remains the liturgical celebration in honor of the martyr and the procession with the saint's statue through the village streets, accompanied by local families and confraternities. Alongside the rites, the program traditionally includes:

• the historical re-enactment of the cult of Saint Sebastian, with costumed figures along the walled path of the village;
• the archery tournament of the castles of Sabina, a medieval-style challenge between the local villages;
• the concert by the Montopoli brass band, which closes the commemorative evening;
• tastings of local products, from Sabina PDO extra virgin olive oil to cured meats, cheeses, and homemade desserts.

Flavors of Sabina

Sabina is a land of oil: the ancient olive groves surrounding Bocchignano produce one of Italy's most renowned extra virgin olive oils, a discreet star of all the festival's food stalls. Alongside the oil, you will find homemade pasta, grilled meats, sheep's milk cheeses, and wines from the Rieti hills. The tastings take place outdoors, in the village squares, and are one of the reasons the festival attracts visitors from Rome and the Tiber Valley every year.

Why it's worth the trip

Those who arrive in Bocchignano during the festival find an authentically local event, far from the major tourist circuits: no stage-managed scenery for the public, but a community putting its own memory on display. It is also the perfect opportunity to visit the village, the parish church, and the defensive walls, and to explore the nearby Municipality of Montopoli di Sabina and the Nazzano Tevere-Farfa Nature Reserve, which is just a short distance away.

When it takes place

The festival is usually held in July, over a three-day long weekend: the 2025 edition took place from July 18th to 20th. The dates for the following edition are announced by the festival committee and the Municipality of Montopoli di Sabina in the preceding weeks, along with the detailed program.