Santissimo Salvatore Festival

A devotion dating back to 1283

The Santissimo Salvatore Festival has its roots in a miraculous event recorded in Viterbo's chronicles. In 1283, two farmers were plowing a field near the Bagni area when their oxen suddenly stopped and knelt: the plow had struck a buried stone chest. Inside, they discovered a triptych depicting the Most Holy Savior, which was brought into the city and joyfully welcomed by the population at the church of Santa Maria Nuova, then the seat of the Guild of Plowmen, one of the most important corporations in medieval Viterbo.

The Savior's Triptych

The icon, dating back to the early 13th century, is crafted from leather on a wooden panel, in a style that blends the Roman school with Byzantine tradition. Scholars believe it is likely a copy of the Savior's image kept at the Lateran. For over seven centuries, the triptych has been housed in the church of Santa Maria Nuova, the beating heart of the festival and one of the oldest churches in the City of Popes.

From the 1344 statutes to the modern revival

The city statutes of 1344 already strictly regulated the celebration, which took place on the evening of August 14th with the participation of authorities, clergy, and the Guilds with their respective banners and torches. During the 19th century, however, the festival lost its prominence due to the growing popularity of the cult of Saint Rose and her spectacular processional machines, and the procession was suspended at the end of the century. Resumed in 1918 in a reduced form, the celebration has been progressively relaunched to regain its former glory: in 2025, 742 years after its discovery, the icon returned to parade on an ox-drawn cart, as per the original tradition.

The ox-drawn cart procession

The culminating ritual takes place on the Saturday preceding the second Sunday of May. A copy of the triptych is placed on a traditional agricultural cart decorated with wildflowers and pulled by a powerful pair of Maremma oxen, slowly traversing the streets of the city's ancient quarter. The procession is led by a historical pageant re-enacting the ancient Viterbo Guilds, with participants in medieval costumes starting from the church of San Pellegrino. Upon returning to Piazza Santa Maria Nuova, the triptych is welcomed by the Bishop of Viterbo for a solemn blessing.

The medieval village in celebration

A rich program of re-enactments unfolds around the procession: the San Pellegrino district, one of the best-preserved medieval villages in Italy, hosts a medieval trade market with educational stalls, historical fencing demonstrations, flag-wavers, musicians, and even a suggestive torture corner. A medieval dinner is served in the stables of the Papal Palace, where the first and longest conclave in history was held, while conferences and cultural meetings delve into the history of Papal Viterbo.

A festival in the heart of Tuscia

Organized by the Santa Maria Nuova – San Lorenzo parish together with the Santissimo Salvatore Historical Re-enactment Association, with the support of the Municipality of Viterbo, the festival is now a celebration for the entire city rather than just the parish. For the capital of Tuscia, in northern Lazio, it represents a precious opportunity to rediscover the medieval identity that made it the preferred seat of the pontiffs for decades, and to experience the historic center in an atmosphere of bygone days, amidst faith, history, and traditional flavors.