San Terenziano Festival

The Patronal Feast of Capranica

The San Terenziano Festival is the most significant religious and popular event in Capranica, a medieval village in the Tuscia area of the province of Viterbo, Lazio. Every year, around the first Sunday of September, the community gathers around its patron saint in a celebration that weaves together devotion, historical memory, and conviviality, enlivening the streets and squares of the historic center for over a week.

Who was San Terenziano

San Terenziano, Bishop of Todi and martyr, is venerated in Capranica as the city's protector. The town's church houses the saint's relics, kept alongside those of Saint Blaise inside a precious reliquary bust that serves as the true centerpiece of the festivities. Devotion to Terenziano is rooted in a centuries-old tradition, passed down from generation to generation by the people of Capranica.

The Torchlight Procession

The heart of the festival is religious. On the eve of the main day, following an ancient rite, the faithful walk to the small rural church dedicated to the saint along a path illuminated by torches and lanterns, followed by services and moments of entertainment. On the first Sunday of September, the solemn procession takes place: the patron's bust is carried through the village streets, accompanied by a brass band and the confreres, recognizable by their green robes and red capes. The organization of the procession has been entrusted for centuries to the confraternity, which has guarded its rites and rules since the 16th century.

Music, Shows, and Community

Alongside the liturgical events, the festival offers a rich calendar of secular activities: concerts in the square and at the sports field, shows, tournaments, and initiatives for all ages, making the patronal festivities one of the most anticipated moments of the Capranica summer. The recurrence is also linked to the traditional Procession of the Cocciarelle on September 8th, the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, which ideally closes the celebration period.

A Defining Event of the Tuscia Region

For Capranica, the San Terenziano Festival is much more than a religious recurrence: it is a moment of collective identity that calls back those who live far away, reunites families, and renews the bond between the community and its patron. Those visiting the Tuscia region during this time will find a village in celebration, balancing the sacred and the profane—an authentic expression of the popular culture of the Viterbo area.