Santa Maria a Vico Festival

A festival in the shadow of Abruzzo's oldest monument

In the town of Sant'Omero, in the province of Teramo, the Santa Maria a Vico Festival is celebrated every year in early September around the jewel that gives the event its name: the Romanesque church of Santa Maria a Vico. Considered by critics to be the only pre-1000 AD monument in Abruzzo to have reached us almost complete, this 10th-century basilica stands in the greenery near the Vibrata stream, providing the perfect backdrop for a festival that weaves together popular faith, culture, and community.

The charm of Santa Maria a Vico

The church, with its basilica layout, semicircular apse, and three naves marked by stone columns, houses rare treasures such as the opus spicatum masonry on the facade and travertine and terracotta screens adorned with crosses. The site stands where a Trajan-era temple dedicated to Hercules once stood: the inscription of the famous "Decree of the Cultivators of Hercules" is still embedded in the walls. For this reason, the festival has historically involved the Sodalizio Cultori di Ercole Association, the guardian of this ancient memory.

The festival program

Organized by the Pro Loco Sant'Omero APS in collaboration with the parish, the municipality, and local associations, the event typically spans three days. Highlights that have characterized the festival over the years include:

• cultural debates and meetings dedicated to the Val Vibrata and the dialogue between art and anthropology, featuring scholars and authorities;
• photographic exhibitions and walks through art, nature, and history, often curated by FAI Giovani Teramo;
• archery demonstrations and competitions hosted by the Scuola Arcieri dell'Adriatico;
• traditional games, entertainment for children, and free-flight demonstrations by the Avioclub Val Vibrata;
• live music evenings with local bands and artists;
• food stalls featuring traditional Abruzzese flavors.

The procession and fireworks

The most heartfelt moment remains the religious one: the evening procession, accompanied by the band, which winds along the road of Santa Maria a Vico, followed by the fireworks display that closes the festivities. It is the most authentic image of a community gathering around its roots in one of the most evocative locations in the Teramo area of Abruzzo.

Why attend

The Santa Maria a Vico Festival is the perfect opportunity to discover a little-known but precious corner of Abruzzo: a thousand-year-old monument, the gentle landscape of the Val Vibrata, and the hospitality of a village that knows how to turn its history into a shared celebration.