San Felice in Pincis Festival (Patronal Feast)

A city celebrates its patron saint

For Pomigliano d'Arco, January 14th is much more than just a date on the calendar: it is the day of San Felice in Pincis, the town's patron saint and the figure around whom the city's religious and civic identity has revolved for centuries. Located in the province of Naples, at the foot of Mount Vesuvius and just a few kilometers from Nola, Pomigliano d'Arco experiences the most intense moment of its devotional calendar on this day, with participation spanning generations, neighborhoods, and parishes.

Who was San Felice in Pincis

Felice was a priest of the Church of Nola who died on January 14, 313, as a confessor of the faith. He was buried in Cimitile, home to one of Italy's most important early Christian complexes. He is venerated as the patron saint of both Cimitile and Pomigliano d'Arco, and his memory links the territory to one of the oldest Christian roots in Campania. The epithet «in Pincis» has always accompanied the name of the Pomigliano parish church.

The novena, the heart of the preparation

The festival is not limited to the patron saint's day. Local tradition dictates that the community prepares with a novena of prayer and reflection in the days leading up to January 14th: nine evenings during which the parish of San Felice welcomes the city's other parishes in turn to venerate the common patron. During the first days of the novena, the city's parish priests take turns presiding over the Eucharistic celebration, animated by their respective parish choirs. It is the moment when the festival shows its most choral nature: not an event for a single neighborhood, but an appointment that brings the entire Pomigliano d'Arco together.

The day of the festival

On January 14th, the parish church marks the day with a long succession of holy masses, from the first morning celebrations to those in the evening. The most solemn moment is the Eucharistic celebration presided over by the Bishop of Nola, Monsignor Francesco: in 2026 it was scheduled for 5:00 PM at the San Felice in Pincis parish, while in 2025 it was held in the morning at 10:00 AM.

The procession and the silver statue

The most recognizable image of the festival remains the procession, which traditionally moves in the late morning, around 11:00 AM, and winds through the streets of the town center: Corso Umberto, Via Roma, and the surrounding arteries before returning to the patron's church. The protagonist is the silver statue of San Felice, displayed in the church for the celebrations and then carried on shoulders along the route, accompanied by confraternities, the faithful, and brass bands. Decorated balconies, applause as the saint passes, and prayer stops at key points in the city mark a ritual that repeats itself almost unchanged year after year.

Between devotion and civic life

Alongside the liturgical program, past editions have featured civic and cultural moments promoted by the parish and local associations: sacred music and gospel concerts, meetings and debates at the San Felice oratory with students from local high schools, book presentations dedicated to the religious history of Pomigliano, and evening festivities in the town squares. The scope of these events varies from year to year and is announced by the parish in the days immediately preceding the festival.

The church of San Felice in Pincis

The building that hosts the festival today is not the original one. According to local tradition, the primitive church dedicated to the patron saint stood in the area known as the «Spedale»; deemed inadequate over time, the cult was transferred to the church dedicated to San Paolino, restored by the will of the Neapolitan nobleman Galeazzo di Costanzo. The building later underwent several interventions: in 1645 a chapel dedicated to the Assumption was built, while at the end of the 19th century the church was expanded and transformed into a three-nave structure, with the creation of connecting chapels and the renovation of the facade.

Why it's worth attending

• An authentic patronal feast, experienced by the community rather than staged for tourism.
• The bond with Cimitile and Nola, the heart of ancient Christianity in Campania.
• The procession with the silver statue through the historic center of Pomigliano d'Arco.
• The novena, an opportunity to listen to the city's parish choirs.
• Free admission to all religious moments and the procession.