Sant'Antonio Festival in Vallemare

A village festival in the heart of the Abruzzo summer

The Sant'Antonio Festival in Vallemare is the event through which the homonymous village in the Municipality of Cepagatti, in the Province of Pescara (Abruzzo), celebrates its bond with Saint Anthony. Vallemare is a small settlement of a few hundred residents, just a few kilometres from the municipal seat, where this religious festival represents one of the most cherished moments of the entire summer. The event takes place at the end of June and is fully integrated into the official Cepagatti Estate program, the calendar of events that brings the various districts of the area to life from June to September.

Devotion and popular tradition

As in many Abruzzo communities, the festival intertwines the sacred dimension with the convivial one. The heart of the celebration remains the religious aspect, with Holy Mass and the procession through the streets of the district in honor of the Saint, followed by the faithful of Vallemare and neighboring villages. Surrounding the devotional moment, the community organizes festive evenings, stands, and gathering opportunities that keep the square lively until late in the evening.

Music and open-air evenings

The musical component has always accompanied the festivities. Within the Cepagatti Estate calendar, the eve of the festival is enriched by live performances designed to animate the village: open-air evenings with bands and musical ensembles attract residents and visitors, transforming the town's spaces into an open-air stage. It is a simple and authentic atmosphere, typical of village festivals in the Pescara hinterland, where good music and company count as much as the religious rite.

A fragment of Cepagatti's identity

Cepagatti is a hilly municipality a short distance from Pescara, divided into numerous villages and districts, each with its own patronal festivals and anniversaries. The Sant'Antonio Festival in Vallemare is one of the pieces of this rich mosaic of traditions, which also includes the celebrations of Saint Nicholas, Saint Roch, Saint Lucy, and many others. Participating means discovering a lesser-known but very vibrant Abruzzo, made of cohesive communities and warm hospitality.

Why attend

• Experience an authentic Abruzzo village festival, far from the major tourist circuits.
• Witness the procession and rites in honor of Saint Anthony.
• Enjoy the open-air musical evenings of the Cepagatti Estate program.
• Discover the hinterland of the Province of Pescara and its popular tradition.