San Tarcisio Patronal Feast (Quarto Miglio)
A week of faith, sports, and community in the Quarto Miglio district of Rome
About San Tarcisio Feast
A neighborhood festival in the heart of the Appio area
The San Tarcisio Patronal Feast is the most anticipated event of the year for the Quarto Miglio district, located on the southeastern outskirts of Rome, in the Lazio region. Every September, the San Tarcisio parish in Largo Padre Leonardo Bello opens its grounds and oratory for a full week of events involving families, youth, seniors, and local associations. This is not a staged festival, but a grassroots popular tradition organized entirely by parish volunteers.
Who was Saint Tarcisius
Saint Tarcisius is one of the youngest martyrs of the Church of Rome. According to tradition, he was a young boy who, in the early centuries of Christianity, was killed while carrying the Eucharist to imprisoned Christians, refusing to surrender it. For this reason, he is considered the patron saint of altar servers and youth. During the feast, his figure is paired with that of Saint Francis of Assisi, who is also venerated as a guardian of the Eucharist. This dual reference gives the feast a distinctly youthful and community-oriented character, quite different from the more solemn patronal feasts of Rome's historic center.
The religious heart
The liturgical structure marks the entire week. It begins with the opening Mass on Sunday morning and continues daily with solemn Vespers and evening Mass accompanied by moments of catechesis. The highlight arrives on the final Sunday, with the solemn Mass presided over by an auxiliary Bishop of the Eastern sector of the Diocese of Rome and the traditional procession with the statue of Saint Tarcisius through the streets of the neighborhood, one of the most heartfelt moments for residents.
Sports, the true engine of the week
What truly sets this festival apart is the volume of sports tournaments organized by the oratory, which occupy the parish courts from morning until late at night. The program includes:
- Mixed volleyball, with a Junior category (12-16 years) in the afternoon and a Senior category (16-99 years) in the evening;
- 3-on-3 basketball, concentrated on Saturday, open to ages 15 and up;
- 5-a-side football, divided into four categories: Pulcini (7-9 years), Junior (10-12 years), Youth (13-17 years), and Senior (18+).
Registrations are handled online via the form published by the oratory, subject to reading the regulations; for information, write to [email protected]. The wide age range is designed to allow children and adults from the same neighborhood to play together on the same courts.
Shows, food, and evenings
From late afternoon, the festival changes face. The charity raffle opens, followed by the food stall serving simple Roman and local festival dishes, and finally the stage: the parish theater group Genitori & Figli performs its show on the opening night, while the following evenings feature live concerts by local bands, a disco night, and, on the final Sunday, karaoke with an awards ceremony. To close it all, around 11:00 PM, the fireworks display illuminates the sky over Quarto Miglio: the moment when the whole neighborhood gathers together, looking up at the sky.
Why it is worth visiting
Visitors to Rome rarely reach Quarto Miglio, a district named after the fourth mile of the ancient Appian Way, bordering the archaeological area of the Appia Antica and the Castelli Romani. For this reason, the San Tarcisio Feast offers an authentic glimpse of neighborhood Rome, far from tourist circuits: free entry, popular prices at the food stand, and an atmosphere where visitors are welcomed as guests rather than spectators. It is also an excellent opportunity for those staying in the capital in September looking for an evening different from the usual city center itinerary.
San Tarcisio Feast — edition 2026
San Tarcisio Feast 2026
The full program for the 2026 edition has been published in advance by the parish and promoted by the neighborhood portal quartomiglio.rm.it. The feast opens on Sunday, September 6 and closes on Sunday, September 13, 2026, with a progression ranging from morning liturgical moments to evenings of music and conviviality.
The structure follows the proven format of previous years, but with an even wider sports offering: mixed volleyball, 3-on-3 basketball, and four categories of 5-a-side football, from Pulcini to Senior. All evenings have free entry and take place within the grounds of the parish and oratory of Largo Padre Leonardo Bello, in the Quarto Miglio district of Rome.
Programme San Tarcisio Feast 2026
Sunday, September 6 — Opening
- 10:00 Opening Holy Mass of the Feast
- 11:00-13:00 and 15:00-18:00 Sports tournaments
- 18:00 Holy Mass
- 19:00 Performance by the Genitori & Figli theater group
- 21:30 Community dinner
From Monday, September 7 to Wednesday, September 9
- 10:00-12:00, 16:00-19:00 and 20:30-23:00 Sports tournaments
- 18:45 Solemn Vespers
- 19:00 Holy Mass and catechesis
Thursday, September 10 and Friday, September 11
- 10:00-12:00, 16:00-19:00 and 20:30-23:00 Sports tournaments
- 17:00 Opening of the charity raffle
- 19:00 Holy Mass
- 20:00 Opening of the food stall
- 21:00 Live music: Thursday the band Cross Over, Friday the band Cocle@
Saturday, September 12
- 10:00-12:00 and 16:00-23:00 Sports tournaments, including the 3vs3 basketball tournament
- 17:00 Charity raffle
- 19:00 Prefestive Holy Mass
- 20:00 Food stall
- 21:00 Disco night with Erre24
Sunday, September 13 — Closing
- 10:30 Solemn Mass presided over by Mons. A. Zenobbi, Auxiliary Bishop of the Eastern sector, followed by the traditional procession with Saint Tarcisius
- 16:00-23:00 Sports tournaments
- 17:00 Charity raffle
- 19:00 Holy Mass
- 20:00 Food stall
- 21:00 Karaoke with awards ceremony
- 23:00 Final fireworks display
Sports tournaments — categories
- Mixed volleyball: Junior 12-16 years (15:30-19:00), Senior 16-99 years (20:00-23:00)
- 3vs3 Basketball: 15-99 years, Saturday, September 12 (15:30-23:00)
- 5-a-side football: Pulcini 7-9 years (15:30-17:00), Junior 10-12 years (17:00-19:00), Youth 13-17 years (18:00-23:00), Senior 18-99 years (20:00-23:00)
Tournament registration via online form, subject to acceptance of the regulations; information at [email protected].
Highlights San Tarcisio Feast 2026
- Solemn Mass and procession with Saint Tarcisius, Sunday, September 13
- Final fireworks at 11:00 PM on the closing Sunday
- Volleyball, 3vs3 basketball, and 5-a-side football tournaments for eight age categories
- Live concerts by the bands Cross Over and Cocle@, disco night with Erre24
- Theater performance by the parish group Genitori & Figli
- Food stall and charity raffle throughout the week
Prices San Tarcisio Feast 2026
Practical information — San Tarcisio Feast
Where it takes place
San Tarcisio Parish and Oratory at Quarto Miglio, Largo Padre Leonardo Bello 12, 00178 Rome (Quarto Miglio district, Appio-Latino/Appia Nuova area).
How to get there
By car: Take the exit from the Grande Raccordo Anulare towards Via Appia Nuova, then follow signs for Quarto Miglio; street parking is available in the surrounding streets. By public transport: Metro A to Colli Albani or Arco di Travertino, then bus towards Appia Nuova/Quarto Miglio; the area is also served by the Rome-Ciampino railway with bus connections.
Costs
Free entry to all evening events. Only food at the stalls, charity raffle tickets, and any sports tournament registration fees are charged (information available at the oratory).
Tips
Weekend evenings are the busiest: it is advisable to arrive early to find a seat at the food tables. For the final Sunday procession and the fireworks, it is best to position yourself near the church square a little in advance.
Contacts
Parish phone: +39 06 7188136 — email: [email protected] — tournaments: [email protected]. Updated program on santarcisio.eu and the neighborhood portal quartomiglio.rm.it.
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Where does it take place — San Tarcisio Feast
Parrocchia e Oratorio San Tarcisio al Quarto Miglio
Largo Padre Leonardo Bello 12, 00178 Roma