Santi Angeli Custodi Patronal Feast (Montesacro - Piazza Sempione)

A neighborhood festival in the heart of the Città Giardino

The Santi Angeli Custodi Patronal Feast is the most cherished community event in Montesacro, the Città Giardino district in the northern quadrant of Rome, in the Lazio region. Every year, towards the end of May, Piazza Sempione and the monumental church square transform for an entire weekend into a vibrant meeting place, featuring religious celebrations, stalls, communal dining, and family activities. It is a local, grassroots festival, devoid of grand spectacles, which perfectly captures the Roman way of experiencing a neighborhood as a small village within the metropolis.

The church and the Madonna della Misericordia

The church of Santi Angeli Custodi dominates Piazza Sempione from the top of its imposing staircase. The first stone was laid on November 22, 1922, the crypt was blessed in 1924, and the building was consecrated on December 8, 1925; it became a parish on October 2, 1926. The project was designed by Gustavo Giovannoni, an urban planner and creator of the Città Giardino, who drew inspiration from the architectural principles of Leon Battista Alberti, positioning the building as the visual focal point of the entire district.

In the left side chapel, the Madonna della Misericordia, the patron saint of the district, is venerated: a polychrome wooden statue of the Virgin and Child, a gift from Cardinal Pompilj in 1925, which is carried in procession during the parish festivities. It is around this image that the devotional identity of Montesacro is built.

The evening procession

The most anticipated moment is the Saturday evening procession. The pageant departs from Piazza Sempione and returns after traversing Corso Sempione, Via Gargano, Viale Adriatico, and Via delle Alpi Apuane, accompanied by hymns, a brass band, and faithful carrying candles. In the 2025 edition, local reports counted approximately 500 participants, with temporary diversions of neighborhood bus lines until 10:00 PM. Seeing the illuminated windows along the route and the decorated balconies is, for any visitor, the most authentic way to experience this corner of Rome.

What to expect

• Solemn liturgical celebrations in the parish church, with masses and prayer moments dedicated to the Madonna della Misericordia.
• Evening procession with the wooden statue through the streets of Montesacro.
• Stalls and refreshment points on the church square and parish grounds, managed by volunteers.
• Games, workshops, and activities for children and teenagers from the parish youth groups.
• Charity lottery "Fate festa con noi" (Celebrate with us), with the drawing on the final day and prizes to be claimed within thirty days.
• Musical moments and entertainment in the square, open to the entire neighborhood.

A neighborhood that tells its story

Montesacro was established in the 1920s as a garden city, with low-rise villas, curved streets, and tree-lined squares: a city within a city, designed for neighborly living. The parish feast is the natural consequence of this, as it connects different generations—historic families, new residents, and the elderly of the Città Giardino—around a ritual that has been repeated for decades. Visitors from outside will find an intimate and welcoming atmosphere, far removed from the mass tourism of the historic center, and can take the opportunity to discover one of the most characteristic districts of 20th-century Rome.

When to go

The festival traditionally takes place on the last weekend of May, from Friday to Sunday. In 2025, it was held from May 23 to 25, with the procession on Saturday, May 24, at 9:00 PM. Since the detailed program is released by the parish only a few weeks in advance, it is advisable to check the official website or the church notice board for final times.