Sant'Anna Patronal Festival

A devotion spanning centuries

In the town of Lettere, a village perched on the Monti Lattari in the province of Naples, the Sant'Anna Patronal Festival is much more than a summer event: it is the moment the entire community finds its sense of belonging. Each year, around July 26th, the liturgical feast day of the Virgin Mary's mother, the town fills with pilgrims, illuminations, and devotional songs, marking one of the most deeply rooted patronal festivals on the Campanian coast. Visitors arriving in Lettere during these days find a town that doesn't just perform its traditions, but lives them: families prepare for weeks, streets are decorated, and the Saint returns to the heart of daily life.

The Sanctuary of Sant'Anna and the 1503 statue

The heart of the festivities is the Sanctuary of Sant'Anna, construction of which began in 1570 and was completed around 1600, though its solemn consecration did not occur until 1696. The interior, designed in a Latin cross layout with a single nave, measures approximately 36 meters in length, 10 in width, and 16 in height, featuring a coffered barrel vault and marble flooring. The altar of the chapel houses the wooden statue from 1503, commissioned by Antonio Mirobello: tradition holds that in the days leading up to the festival, the faithful collect the dust that has settled on the monument throughout the year—a gesture of devotion passed down through generations. The sanctuary currently serves as the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta and San Giovanni Battista.

«'A Sagliuta a Sant'Anna», the nocturnal pilgrimage

The most intense moment of the festivities is «'a Sagliuta a Sant'Anna», the uphill pilgrimage on foot that brings hundreds of the faithful from Sant'Antonio Abate to Lettere every year. The tradition dates back to before 1929, when Sant'Antonio Abate was still a hamlet of Lettere and the population would walk up to venerate the patron saint: a ritual that has never been broken. The procession gathers on Via Lettere, at the intersection with Via Buonconsiglio, and continues along Corso Vittorio Emanuele toward the Cappelluzze area, where the municipal administration of Lettere officially welcomes the pilgrims. At the stroke of midnight, Holy Mass is celebrated in an atmosphere of deep reflection that remains one of the most vivid memories for those who participate.

Religious rites and secular program

The calendar opens with the Enthronement rite of the Sant'Anna statue, which officially marks the beginning of the period dedicated to the patron saint, followed by the novena, solemn masses presided over by the Bishop, and processions that traverse the historic center and the town's hamlets. Alongside the liturgical program, the festival committee has long offered a rich and highly popular secular schedule:

• Devotional Tammurriata, featuring traditional Campanian songs and dances
• Brass band concerts and folk recitals in the town squares
• Young Talents Festival, a showcase for local youth
• Master-Chef Lettere, a culinary competition dedicated to local recipes
• Sacred art exhibitions, food and wine stands, and a concluding fireworks display

«A Pizza d'a Devozione»

Among the initiatives accompanying the festival, «A Pizza d'a Devozione» stands out: local pizzerias create pizzas dedicated to Sant'Anna, playing on the Saint's yellow and green colors and crafted with local ingredients. It is a simple and successful way to link popular devotion, local identity, and the gastronomic culture of the Monti Lattari, where pizza is never just a dish.

Lettere, between the medieval castle and the Monti Lattari

Attending the festival is also an opportunity to discover Lettere, a village that overlooks the valley and preserves the remains of its medieval castle, located a short distance from Castellammare di Stabia and the Sorrento Peninsula. On festival evenings, lights and stalls transform the narrow streets of the center into a path to be traversed slowly, amidst the scent of traditional pastries and the sound of tammorre drums. For those coming from outside the region, it is the most authentic way to understand what a patronal festival means in Campania: not a show for tourists, but a pact renewed every year between a community and its Saint.