Solemn Celebrations in Honor of Maria Santissima di Costantinopoli

Two days of faith and celebration in Vallo di Lauro

In Pago del Vallo di Lauro, a small town in the province of Avellino, Campania, the Solemn Celebrations in Honor of Maria Santissima di Costantinopoli are the most anticipated event of the summer. For two days in mid-July, the village at the foot of Monte Dinico pauses its daily routine to focus on Marian devotion, alternating between intense liturgical moments and musical evenings in the square. As the organizing committee notes, this is a tradition that embodies the history, faith, and identity of the entire local community.

A devotion arrived from the sea

The cult of Maria di Costantinopoli was brought to Southern Italy by travelers and sailors. In Pago, it found its home in the Church of Santa Maria di Costantinopoli, located in the historic center along Via Narni. Built in the 17th century, the building was severely damaged by the 1732 earthquake and later entirely rebuilt in late-Baroque style. Its true treasure is the vaulted ceiling, frescoed in the 18th century by Angelo Mozzillo, a painter from Afragola, featuring the Virgin of Costantinopoli at its center: a small masterpiece of Western Irpinian Baroque art that alone makes the village worth a visit.

The religious program

The festivities are preceded by a novena of preparation and other prayer services in the parish. The main day, Sunday, opens with a Solemn Holy Mass, followed by a procession that carries the image of the Madonna through the town streets, accompanied by the devotion of the faithful and festive illuminations. Over the years, the Eucharistic celebration has been presided over by the Bishop of the Diocese of Nola, confirming the importance of this festival in the religious calendar of the Vallo di Lauro.

Piazza Don Francesco Addeo, the community stage

Once the liturgical events conclude, the celebration moves to Piazza Don Francesco Addeo, which becomes an open-air theater. The secular program focuses heavily on contemporary Neapolitan song and artists from the Parthenopean scene, with free evening concerts that attract audiences from all the towns of the Vallo di Lauro and the nearby Nola area. The grand finale is the fireworks display, an unmissable highlight of Campanian patronal festivals, which closes the celebrations by lighting up the Vallo valley.

Pago del Vallo di Lauro, the City of Hazelnuts

With just under 1,700 inhabitants and an altitude of about 130 meters, Pago del Vallo di Lauro is one of the smallest and oldest villages in the area. Its name derives from the Latin pagus (village), and the remains of a Roman-era rustic villa have been unearthed in the San Pietro area. The town is known as the City of Hazelnuts for its production of the Mortarella variety. It also houses the Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Pernosano, with its Byzantine frescoes, and the Church of San Lorenzo Martire in Sopravia. Visitors attending the festival can combine their trip with a walk to the Pietra Maula natural area, a Site of Community Importance.

Why attend

• An authentic, non-touristy festival experienced by the entire town.
• Free evening concerts in the square featuring Neapolitan artists.
• The solemn procession through the alleys of the historic center.
• The fireworks display that concludes the festivities.
• A visit to the Church of Costantinopoli and the frescoes by Angelo Mozzillo.
• The hazelnuts of Vallo di Lauro, a hallmark product of the territory.