San Leucio Festival
The patronal feast of the Valle Telesina: triduum, illuminations, concerts, and a pyromusical show
About San Leucio
San Leucio, the patron saint of San Salvatore Telesino
The San Leucio Festival is the most cherished event of the year in San Salvatore Telesino, a town in the Province of Benevento, in the heart of the Valle Telesina, Campania. San Leucio, originally from Alexandria in Egypt and the first bishop of Brindisi, has been venerated here for centuries: his cult spread throughout the Benevento area during the Lombard era and became firmly rooted in the 19th century, when the community invoked the Saint's protection against cholera in 1837. In 1856, the relic arrived in the town, remaining at the center of popular devotion to this day.
The liturgical feast falls on January 11th, but for over a century, the locals have also dedicated a grand summer festival to their patron, scheduled for the last Sunday of July: five days when the town fills with lights, music, and visitors from across the valley. The community actually honors the Saint through three distinct moments: the liturgical feast in January, the octave commemorating the liberation from cholera, and the civil and religious summer festival in July.
The religious program: triduum, solemn masses, and procession
The religious observances begin with the triduum in honor of San Leucio at the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta: each evening features the Holy Rosary and a Eucharistic celebration, with the participation of the parish priest and guest clergy. Sunday is the solemn day: celebrations continue from the early morning, the mid-morning mass is presided over by the bishop of the diocese of Cerreto Sannita-Telese-Sant'Agata de' Goti, and at sunset, the procession with the image of the Patron Saint winds through the town streets, accompanied by the band and a community in prayer.
The civil program: Piazza Nazionale and Piazza Pacelli
The secular heart of the festival beats in Piazza Nazionale, which transforms into a large open-air stage for four nights. The established calendar offers events for all ages:
- the "Don Peppino Pacelli" Children's Festival, organized by the "L'Isola che non c'è" association, which opens the festivities with the voices of the little ones and has surpassed twenty-five editions;
- a live music evening with bands and tribute acts, followed late at night by DJ sets and live shows;
- the grand lyrical-symphonic concert by the "Emilio Silvestri" Lyrical-Symphonic Wind Orchestra of Gravina in Puglia, which arrives in town on Sunday morning to perform a matinee and an evening concert with soloists;
- the pyromusical show in Piazza Salvatore Pacelli, held late at night, the most anticipated moment and the true seal of the solemn day;
- the closing concert on Monday, which over the years has brought famous names of Italian and Neapolitan music to San Salvatore Telesino.
Illuminations: the other architecture of the festival
As throughout inland Campania, the illuminations are an integral part of the patronal feast: arches and light displays, entrusted to specialized artisan firms from the Caserta and Benevento areas, redesign the profile of the main street and squares for a few days. The switching on of the lights is, in effect, the moment the festival truly begins.
A century of the San Leucio Committee
Behind the organization is the Pro San Leucio Festival Committee, working alongside the parish and the Municipality of San Salvatore Telesino. The logo for the 2026 edition celebrates the hundredth anniversary of the Committee's foundation (1926-2026): a century of meetings, printed programs, and nights spent setting up stages, illustrating how much this festival is a matter of community.
What to see in town
Visitors arriving for the festival can take the opportunity to discover the town's heritage: the mother church with its Neapolitan school paintings and the 16th-century chapel of the Monsorio dukes, the Massimo Rao Art Gallery dedicated to the local painter, the municipal library, and the great Abbey of the Holy Savior, which gives the town its name and hosts cultural and film festivals during the summer. A few kilometers away are the Telese thermal baths and the vineyards of Aglianico and Falanghina del Sannio: a setting that makes the Valle Telesina one of the most pleasant destinations in inland Campania at the end of July.
What atmosphere to expect
The San Leucio Festival is not an event manufactured for tourism: it is a genuine local feast where popular devotion coexists with concert stages and crowds looking up at the fireworks. All events are free and open to everyone.
San Leucio — edition 2026
A centenary edition
From July 23 to 27, 2026, San Salvatore Telesino experienced the solemn festivities in honor of San Leucio, with an edition with a special flavor: the poster bore the logo of the hundred years of the San Leucio Committee (1926-2026). The triduum opened on Thursday, July 23, in the parish church and continued until Saturday, with the Holy Rosary at 6:00 PM and Eucharistic celebration at 6:30 PM, in the presence of priest Antonio Di Nardo, parish priest and postulator of causes for the saints.
Sunday, July 26, the solemn day, masses followed one another from 8:00 AM; at 11:00 AM the celebration was presided over by Bishop Giuseppe Mazzafaro and at 7:00 PM by Father Antonio Di Nardo, followed by the procession with the image of the Patron Saint through the streets of the community.
On the civil front, Piazza Nazionale hosted the 27th "Don Peppino Pacelli" Children's Festival, the folk-rock concert by Zeketam, the live show by Radio Company, and the grand lyrical-symphonic concert by the "Emilio Silvestri" Wind Orchestra of Gravina in Puglia; late at night, in Piazza Salvatore Pacelli, the pyromusical show. Closing on Monday, July 27, with the concert by I Desideri. The illuminations were curated by the Fratelli Di Meo company of Ruviano.
Programme San Leucio 2026
Religious program — Triduum in honor of San Leucio
With the presence of priest Antonio Di Nardo, parish priest and postulator of causes for the saints.
- Thursday, July 23 — 6:00 PM Holy Rosary; 6:30 PM Eucharistic Celebration
- Friday, July 24 — 6:00 PM Holy Rosary; 6:30 PM Eucharistic Celebration
- Saturday, July 25 — 6:00 PM Holy Rosary; 6:30 PM Eucharistic Celebration
- Sunday, July 26 — Eucharistic Celebrations at 8:00, 9:00, and 10:00 AM; 11:00 AM Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Bishop Giuseppe Mazzafaro; 6:30 PM Holy Rosary; 7:00 PM Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Father Antonio Di Nardo; followed by the procession with the image of the Patron Saint through the streets of the community
Civil program
- Friday, July 24, Piazza Nazionale — 8:30 PM: 27th "Don Peppino Pacelli" Children's Festival, organized by the "L'Isola che non c'è" association
- Saturday, July 25, Piazza Nazionale — 9:00 PM: Zeketam in concert (folk-rock music); 11:30 PM: Radio Company live show
- Sunday, July 26, Piazza Nazionale — 8:00 AM: arrival of the prestigious "Emilio Silvestri" Lyrical-Symphonic Wind Orchestra of Gravina in Puglia; 11:00 AM: matinee; 9:30 PM: Lyrical-symphonic concert conducted by Maestro Giuseppe Basile with Deborah Nostrato, Rosa Simone, Nicola Malagnini, and Michele Cicala
- Sunday, July 26 (night), Piazza Salvatore Pacelli — 12:45 AM: pyromusical show by the Pannella company of Ponte (BN)
- Monday, July 27, Piazza Nazionale — 10:00 PM: I Desideri in concert
Illuminations by the company Fratelli Di Meo snc of Di Meo Silvio, Ruviano (CE).
Highlights San Leucio 2026
- Hundred years of the San Leucio Committee (1926-2026), celebrated in the official logo of the edition
- Sunday, July 26: mass presided over by Bishop Giuseppe Mazzafaro and evening procession with the image of the Patron Saint
- Lyrical-symphonic concert by the "Emilio Silvestri" Wind Orchestra of Gravina in Puglia, conducted by Maestro Giuseppe Basile
- Pyromusical show at 12:45 AM in Piazza Salvatore Pacelli
- I Desideri in concert on the closing night, Monday, July 27
- The 27th "Don Peppino Pacelli" Children's Festival, a historic event for the youth
Prices San Leucio 2026
Practical information — San Leucio
How to get there
By car, take the SS 372 Telesina, the road connecting Benevento to Caianello (A1 Rome-Naples motorway exit): from the Telese junction, continue for a few kilometers to San Salvatore Telesino. By train, the most convenient station is Telese-Cerreto, on the Naples-Benevento line, a short distance from the town. The reference airport is Naples-Capodichino, about an hour's drive away.
Admission, times, and locations
All events, both religious and civil, have free admission. Celebrations take place in the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta; concerts are held in Piazza Nazionale, usually between 8:30 PM and 10:00 PM; the pyromusical show takes place in Piazza Salvatore Pacelli after midnight on Sunday.
Practical tips
During the festival, the Municipality issues an ordinance for temporary traffic changes in the town center: it is advisable to leave your car in areas outside the center and reach the squares on foot. For the Sunday evening procession, it is best to arrive a little early along the route. Late July evenings can be hot and very crowded: bring water, comfortable shoes, and patience for the traffic leaving after the fireworks.
Contacts and program
Municipality of San Salvatore Telesino, Via Gioia 1 - 82030 San Salvatore Telesino (BN), phone +39 0824 881111. The complete religious and civil program is published every year in the events section of the municipal website and distributed via the flyers of the Pro San Leucio Festival Committee.
Where to stay
Accommodation in the area is good thanks to nearby Telese Terme, with hotels and thermal facilities, and the agritourisms of the Valle Telesina nestled among the Sannio vineyards.
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Where does it take place — San Leucio
Piazza Nazionale, Piazza Salvatore Pacelli e centro storico
Piazza Nazionale, 82030 San Salvatore Telesino