Sant'Anna Festival in San Mauro

A patronal feast in the heart of Campania

The Sant'Anna Festival is the most anticipated event of the year for San Mauro, a small and charming hamlet in the municipality of Alvignano, in the province of Caserta. Every July 26th, the village, nestled on the Caprensi hills at an altitude of about 130 meters, gathers around its patron saint in a celebration that unites popular faith, historical memory, and conviviality.

San Mauro is an ancient place: the first written records date back to 979, when it appeared as Sanctus Maurus in Albinianu. In this rural setting, where the community today numbers just a few hundred inhabitants, devotion to Saint Anne represents a thread that binds generations and brings emigrant children and grandchildren back to their home village every summer.

The religious moment

The heart of the festival is the sacred rite. In the late afternoon, the community gathers in the 16th-century church of Santa Maria della Natività, a Renaissance jewel of the village, for the solemn Holy Mass in honor of Saint Anne. At the end of the celebration, the procession begins: the statue of the Saint is carried on shoulders along the streets of San Mauro, accompanied by the hymns of the faithful and the music of the brass band, until it reaches the church of San Sebastiano near the former town hall square.

The secular festival and conviviality

The spiritual dimension is joined by the popular one, which makes this anniversary a true moment of community. After the procession, the village comes alive with music, convivial moments, and the traditional pasta and beans shared between residents and visitors, a simple and iconic dish of Campanian peasant cuisine. There is no shortage of evening festive atmosphere and traditional fireworks, which close the day by illuminating the summer sky of the village.

• When: Every year on July 26th, the day of Saint Anne
• Where: San Mauro hamlet, Municipality of Alvignano (Caserta), Campania
• Key locations: Church of Santa Maria della Natività and Church of San Sebastiano
• Admission: Free

A village to discover

Participating in the Sant'Anna Festival means immersing yourself in an authentic Italy, far from the large tourist flows. San Mauro and the Alvignano territory, in the hinterland of the Alto Casertano, offer visitors hilly landscapes, traditions that are still alive, and the genuine hospitality of the communities of inland Campania. A village festival worth the trip for those seeking the discreet charm of the festivals and patronal feasts of Southern Italy.