Sant'Anna Fireworks

A popular festival overlooking the gulf

In Gaeta, in the province of Latina, the end of July has a distinct sound: the thunder of fireworks echoing over the sea. The Sant'Anna Fireworks are the highlight of the celebrations in honor of Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary, organized by the San Carlo Borromeo Parish and the Festival Committee in the La Piaja district. This is far more than just a pyrotechnic show; it is the grand finale of two weeks of neighborhood life, filled with prayer, festive lights, market stalls, music, and intergenerational gatherings.

Devotion to Saint Anne

The religious heart of the festival is the 18th-century statue of the saint, attributed to the Neapolitan sculptor Donato Fortunato and dated 1740. Kept in her own small chapel, the statue is brought into the church for the duration of the festivities with the rite of enthronement. Saint Anne is traditionally invoked as the protector of expectant mothers and farmers—a concrete, popular devotion that has been passed down through Gaeta families for generations. The liturgical calendar dedicates July 26th to Saints Joachim and Anne, which remains the solemn day of the feast.

The rhythm of the celebrations

The festivities open with a concelebrated Mass and the display of the Gonfalone on the church square, often attended by the Archbishop of Gaeta. This is followed by the novena, which rotates through different areas of the parish with evening prayer sessions. Simultaneously, the district is transformed: artistic illuminations cast arches of light over the streets of La Piaja and La Calegna, the parish hall hosts a craft market with proceeds donated to charity, and a brass band provides the soundtrack for the evenings.

Music in Campo Sant'Anna

In the final days, the secular program takes center stage. Campo Sant'Anna, just a stone's throw from the harbor, becomes an open-air stage: white nights, dance evenings, orchestras, DJ sets, and free-entry concerts organized in collaboration with local cultural associations. For the 2026 edition, a free concert by Marco Ligabue has already been announced for July 25th, promising an evening that blends live music with themes of social commitment.

The procession and fireworks over the sea

July 26th is the most intense day: in the afternoon, the statue of Saint Anne travels through the neighborhood in a procession, accompanied by the brass band and the faithful, passing decorated balconies and illuminated windows. In the evening, music fills the square until late, then all eyes turn toward the water: the fireworks display that gives the festival its name is launched from the pier behind Campo San Carlo. The fireworks reflect off the Gulf of Gaeta, visible from the promenade, the boats, and much of the old town. The following day, the festival concludes with a thanksgiving Mass, the repositioning of the statue, and a prize draw.

Why it's worth the trip

• A unique natural setting: fireworks launched over the sea, with the promontory and the Angevin-Aragonese castle in the background.
• Free entry to all musical evenings and the fireworks display.
• An authentic neighborhood festival, not staged for tourism: you eat, sing, and pray alongside the locals.
• The setting: Gaeta in summer offers its beaches, the Montagna Spaccata, the medieval historic center, and the famous tiella.

In the calendar of festivals along the Lazio coast, the Sant'Anna Fireworks hold a special place: they are the moment when the town of Gaeta recognizes itself in its maritime and religious tradition, doing so in the simplest and most spectacular way possible—by looking out toward the sea together.