San Paolino di Nola Festival in Villamaina

A patronal feast in the heart of Irpinia

In Villamaina, a village of just under a thousand inhabitants in the province of Avellino, Campania, the San Paolino di Nola Festival has been the most important event of the year for centuries. Celebrations center around June 22nd, the day the Church commemorates the saintly Bishop of Nola. In Villamaina, these rites are intertwined with the veneration of Saint Anthony, celebrated during the same period: the two statues are carried in procession side by side, a custom the community has preserved for generations.

San Paolino, patron saint of Villamaina

Paolino di Nola, a Roman aristocrat who became a bishop and a poet of charity, is linked to Villamaina by an ancient and deeply rooted cult. The Irpinian town has venerated him as its patron for centuries—a bond that transcends liturgical dates and is expressed through popular devotion, families bearing the saint's name, and cultural initiatives dedicated to his legacy. In June 2026, for instance, the Antica Taverna in Villamaina hosted a scholarly conference on the senator-bishop of Nola, promoted by the Archdiocese of Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi-Conza-Nusco-Bisaccia in collaboration with the local Rotary Club.

The ritual: masses, procession, and brass band

The religious heart of the festival follows a well-established pattern, repeated year after year with minor variations:

• the processional transfer of the statue from the church of Saint Anthony to the Mother Church on the eve of the festivities;
• solemn masses in the morning and late afternoon, often presided over by the Archbishop of the diocese, Monsignor Pasquale Cascio;
• the procession through the village streets with the statues of the saints, the clergy, civil authorities, and a brass band that sets the pace through decorated streets and illuminations.

First-time visitors will discover a sober and heartfelt ritual, typical of the Upper Irpinia region: there is no spectacle for the sake of it, but rather an entire community accompanying its patron, with illuminated balconies and streets traversed slowly until the return to the church.

The civil program: concerts and fireworks

Alongside religious functions, the Municipality of Villamaina and the festival committee organize an annual civil program to liven up the evenings: brass band and classical music concerts, musical performances on the town stage, entertainment for children, and market stalls along the center's streets. The finale is traditionally marked by a fireworks display, eagerly awaited by young and old, which illuminates the valley late into the night. Recent editions have featured musical groups and touring bands from across Campania.

Villamaina, thermal baths, and the Ansanto Valley

The festival is also a great opportunity to discover an off-the-beaten-path corner of inland Campania. Villamaina sits at an altitude of about 570 meters along the Fredane stream, at the gateway to the famous Ansanto Valley. It is renowned for the San Teodoro thermal waters, used since the 18th century and still the center of a local spa facility. In the village, one can visit the church of Santa Maria della Pace, the church of Saint Anthony, and the church of Santa Maria di Costantinopoli, which houses a 16th-century triptych of the Annunciation, as well as the Renaissance funerary monument of Annibale Caracciolo, a memory of the family that long governed the fiefdom.

When to go

The festivities take place on fixed dates, around June 21st–23rd, usually spanning two or three days. The detailed program is released by the Municipality and the parish a few weeks in advance, with posters displayed in town and notices published on official channels: it is therefore advisable to check the exact dates and times before traveling.