San Giacomo and Sant'Anna Festival

A festival in the heart of the village of Montone

The San Giacomo and Sant'Anna Festival is the most anticipated summer event in Montone, the only hamlet of the municipality of Mosciano Sant'Angelo, in the province of Teramo, in the heart of Abruzzo. Every year, between July 24th and 26th, the small village—home to just over three hundred souls perched on a hill a few kilometers from the Adriatic coast and Giulianova—comes alive to honor its two patron saints: San Giacomo, celebrated on July 25th, and Sant'Anna, celebrated the following day.

Faith and popular tradition

The festival combines two complementary aspects. On one hand, the religious dimension, with solemn Masses and processions that wind through the village streets, carrying the statues of the saints, accompanied by the faithful and the local band. On the other, the convivial face of a village fair: evenings in the square with live music, food stalls offering the flavors of the Teramo tradition, and the unmissable fireworks display that, late at night, illuminates the sky above the ancient medieval towers to mark the end of the festivities.

A village with a thousand-year history

The origins of Montone date back to the 10th century. In the Middle Ages, the village was home to a small university that operated until 1390, the year Duke Antonio Matteo Acquaviva acquired the area along with neighboring towns. From that era, the evocative 14th-century walls still remain today, along with the keep tower, the clock tower, and the remains of the fortifications. The cult of the patron saints is linked to the area's ancient churches: the church of Sant'Anna, once named Santa Maria ad fontem Vezzanum and built near a spring northwest of the town, and the memory of the church of San Giacomo, which once housed the famous sarcophagus of Bucciarello Jacopo di Bartolomeo, a local nobleman from 1390, considered the most beautiful monument in the entire municipal territory and now preserved in the church of Sant'Antonio Abate.

Why it is worth visiting

Attending the San Giacomo and Sant'Anna Festival means discovering the most authentic side of Abruzzo, that of small villages that proudly guard their roots. It is an opportunity to visit a lesser-known medieval historic center, experience the genuine hospitality of a united community, and savor Teramo cuisine in a festive atmosphere passed down from generation to generation.

• Where: Montone, a hamlet of Mosciano Sant'Angelo (Teramo), Abruzzo
• When: July 24th to 26th
• Patron saints: San Giacomo (July 25th) and Sant'Anna (July 26th)
• What to expect: processions, solemn Masses, concerts, food stalls, fireworks