Sant'Ermete Patronal Festival
The patronal feast of Acquapendente, blending sacred tradition and local culture in the heart of Upper Tuscia
About Sant'Ermete Festival
The Patronal Festival of Acquapendente
The Sant'Ermete Patronal Festival is the signature event with which Acquapendente, a historic village in the Upper Tuscia area of the Viterbo province (Lazio), bids farewell to summer. Each year, around August 28th—the saint's liturgical day—the community gathers to honor its patron in a week of celebrations that blend religious devotion with civic and popular festivities, engaging the entire historic center.
Who was Sant'Ermete?
Sant'Ermete was a Roman martyr from the early centuries of Christianity, venerated on August 28th and the primary patron of Acquapendente. According to local tradition, his remains were discovered in 1652 and have been kept and venerated in the city ever since; the solemn procession featuring the saint's relics remains the most intense and heartfelt moment of the entire festival.
Knights, Bearers, and Confraternities
The Sant'Ermete Festival preserves ancient rites and roles that define the community's identity. The heart of the celebrations lies in the investiture of the new Knights of Sant'Ermete and the blessing of the new bearers, who earn the honor of carrying the saint's remains during the procession. The parade features local confraternities, the group of bearers, the town's historical pageant, and the marching band in a display of faith, memory, and belonging.
A Program of Faith and Culture
Alongside liturgical events, the calendar offers sacred music concerts in the Cathedral, cultural conferences, open-air theatrical performances, and evening entertainment. The festival is part of the R-Estate ad Acquapendente summer program, which accompanies residents and visitors throughout the season with music, theater, culture, and tradition.
The Popular Spirit
The festival also features beloved convivial gatherings: the Sant'Ermete Dinner, the Market Fair that fills the streets of the center, the charity raffle supporting local causes, street food provided by local businesses, and the grand fireworks display that closes the festivities by lighting up the sky over Acquapendente. It is a perfect balance between the sacred and the popular that, year after year, renews the strong connection of the locals to their roots.
Acquapendente and Tuscia
Located at the northern tip of Lazio, bordering Tuscany and Umbria along the ancient Via Francigena, Acquapendente is a village rich in history and spirituality, also famous for the Festa dei Pugnaloni and the Holy Sepulchre Sanctuary. The patronal festival is the ideal opportunity to discover this authentic corner of the Viterbo Tuscia, far from the main tourist circuits.
Sant'Ermete Festival — edition 2026
The 2026 edition offers a full week of events in the historic center of Acquapendente, including liturgical moments, sacred music concerts in the Cathedral, conferences, theatrical shows, and popular evening festivities. The common thread remains the devotion to Sant'Ermete and the community's identity traditions: the investiture of the new Knights of Sant'Ermete, the blessing of the bearers, and the solemn procession with the saint's relics. The conference and pontifical Vespers on August 28th will be presided over by the Bishop of Viterbo, Monsignor Orazio Francesco Piazza.
Programme Sant'Ermete Festival 2026
Monday, August 25th
- 9:00 PM — Piazza Girolamo Fabrizio: show "Un aquesiano all'inferno", performed by the children of the summer camp.
Tuesday, August 26th
- 6:00 PM — Civic Diocesan City Museum: conference by Monsignor Orazio Francesco Piazza, Bishop of Viterbo, titled "Memory as a generative path for the future".
- 9:00 PM — Cathedral: concert by the Cantori della Scuola Romana (conductor Alessio Chiuppesi), "Missa Papae Marcelli".
Wednesday, August 27th
- 6:30 PM — Cathedral: investiture of the new Knights of Sant'Ermete.
- 9:30 PM — Piazza Girolamo Fabrizio: show "Pizzi, tulle e like! Weddings in Jubilees from the 50s to today".
Thursday, August 28th (Patron Saint's Day)
- 9:00 AM — Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre: Holy Mass.
- 11:00 AM — Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre: solemn celebration with organ and brass quartet concert.
- 5:00 PM — Jubilee prayer moment of the Forania.
- 5:30 PM — Cathedral: solemn pontifical Vespers presided over by Monsignor Piazza, with the investiture and blessing of the new Sant'Ermete bearers.
- 6:30 PM — Procession with the saint's remains, with the participation of confraternities and associations.
- 8:30 PM — Fontana dei Mascheroni: Sant'Ermete Dinner.
Saturday, August 30th
- 8:00 AM — Historic center: Market Fair.
- 7:00 PM — Piazza Girolamo Fabrizio: raffle organized by the "Una campana per S. Angelo" association.
- 8:30 PM — Street food by local businesses.
- 9:30 PM — Musical entertainment with "I Tarock".
- Following, fireworks display in Piazza Girolamo Fabrizio.
Highlights Sant'Ermete Festival 2026
- Solemn procession with the remains of Sant'Ermete on August 28th
- Investiture of the new Knights of Sant'Ermete and blessing of the bearers
- Pontifical Vespers presided over by the Bishop of Viterbo
- "Missa Papae Marcelli" concert with the Cantori della Scuola Romana in the Cathedral
- Market fair, Sant'Ermete Dinner, and street food in the historic center
- Final fireworks display in Piazza Girolamo Fabrizio
Prices Sant'Ermete Festival 2026
Practical information — Sant'Ermete Festival
How to get there
Acquapendente is located at the northernmost point of the Viterbo province, along the Via Cassia (SS2). By car, it can be reached from the A1 motorway exits of Orvieto (approx. 20 km) or Fabro. The nearest train station is Orvieto, which is connected by local bus lines.
Where and when
The celebrations take place in the historic center of Acquapendente, with main events held in Piazza Girolamo Fabrizio, the Cathedral (Cattedrale del Santo Sepolcro), the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, and the City Museum. The festival runs from August 25th to 30th, 2026, with the main day being August 28th.
Admission
Religious events, concerts, and performances are free to attend. The market fair and street food options naturally involve the cost of purchases and consumption.
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Where does it take place — Sant'Ermete Festival
Centro storico e Piazza Girolamo Fabrizio