San Filippo Neri Festival

A popular celebration in the heart of Alta Irpinia

Every year, in the second half of May, Lacedonia gathers to honor its co-patron, San Filippo Neri. Located in the province of Avellino, this municipality sits on the far eastern border of Campania, where Irpinia meets Puglia and Basilicata: at an altitude of 734 meters, with just over two thousand residents, it offers a stunning panorama stretching toward the Ofanto valley. For a few days, the town shifts its rhythm: religious devotion and secular festivities alternate seamlessly, from the novena in the Co-Cathedral to the music that enlivens Piazza Tribuni until late at night.

San Filippo Neri, the "Saint of Joy"

The cult of San Filippo Neri in Lacedonia is ancient: municipal records trace it back to 1782, when popular devotion toward the Florentine priest—founder of the Oratory and remembered as the Saint of Joy—took deep root in the community. This bond is also linked by local tradition to Giacomo Candido, a bishop from Syracuse who led the diocese of Lacedonia in the early 17th century and was revered here for his sanctity. Today, San Filippo Neri stands alongside Saint Nicholas of Bari, the town's main patron celebrated on December 6, and Saint Gerard Majella, associated with the famous "Miracle of the Well" and celebrated on October 16.

The traditional calendar

The festival's structure has been consolidated for decades and traditionally takes place from May 17 to 27, with the highlight occurring on May 25 and 26, close to the Saint's liturgical date. The novena opens the cycle in the Co-Cathedral, while the final three days concentrate the most popular celebrations, featuring morning and afternoon masses and the solemn procession that carries the statue of San Filippo Neri through the main streets of the historic center, amidst illuminations and street vendors.

The religious program

• Opening of the novena in the Co-Cathedral, with evening services
• Holy masses held throughout the day during the festival
• Solemn procession with the statue of the co-patron through the village streets
• Musical accompaniment by the Lacedonia Musical Band

Secular festivities in Piazza Tribuni

After the religious services, the festival moves to Piazza Tribuni, the secular heart of the event. Here, the Municipality and the Pro Loco set up a stage that hosts concerts, cabaret shows, and entertainment evenings every year: past editions have featured nationally renowned artists, confirming that even in a small town, this festival attracts audiences from all over Alta Irpinia and neighboring provinces. The event inevitably concludes with the midnight fireworks display—traditionally the most anticipated moment—and the charity lottery drawing.

The return of the emigrants

As is the case in many villages of the Campanian Apennines, the patronal festival is also an occasion for families to reunite: those who have moved to Northern Italy or abroad return to Lacedonia during these days, and the streets of the center fill with reunions, long tables, and shared memories. This, more than any program, is what makes the San Filippo Neri Festival an identity-defining event rather than just a simple calendar date.

What to see in Lacedonia

Visitors arriving for the festival can take the opportunity to explore the village: the MAVI, the Anthropological Visual Museum of Irpinia, preserves over 1,800 photographs documenting local peasant life; in the surrounding area, you can find tuff caves, the monumental Cerro del Tesoro, and the transhumance trails, recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2019. The Lacedonia calendar also offers other heartfelt events, from the Historical Re-enactment of the Conspiracy of the Barons to the summer festival "Calici in centro."