Solemn Procession of the Rotonda (Santa Maria della Pietà)
The feast of Santa Maria della Pietà in the Rotonda district of San Nicola la Strada
About Rotonda Procession
The most anticipated festival in the Rotonda district
The Solemn Procession of the Rotonda is the highlight of the celebrations in honor of Santa Maria della Pietà, the patron of the parish of the same name in San Nicola la Strada, in the province of Caserta (Campania). Every year, between late May and early June, the Rotonda district prepares for weeks: window dressings, church celebrations, novenas, and community gatherings. Then, on Sunday, the statue of the Madonna leaves its niche to travel through the town.
Along with the feast of San Nicola and the Corpus Domini procession, the Rotonda festival is considered one of the three great religious celebrations of San Nicola. It is not an event built for tourism: it is a community festival, rooted in devotion, family memory, and neighborhood belonging, where the search for spectacle gives way to spiritual sharing.
The Church of Santa Maria della Pietà
The starting and ending point is the church in Largo Rotonda, built between the late 17th and early 18th centuries as a small votive chapel in the open countryside, along the route connecting Caserta to Naples. In 1831, Ferdinand II designated it as the seat of the Congregation of San Nicola di Bari; it was only in 1967 that the building became an autonomous parish. Since September 21, 2025, the community has been led by Father Fernando Latino, the sixth parish priest in the history of the parish.
The Untying of the Knots and the Raising of the Banner
The journey toward the festival begins long before the procession. At the beginning of May, the parish welcomes the image of Mary Untier of Knots and celebrates the Rite of the Untying of the Knots: the faithful entrust their difficulties in writing and tie a ribbon, which is then burned as a sign of liberation and inner purification. Immediately after, on the church square, the Raising of the Banner takes place, officially announcing the arrival of the parish festival to the city.
The procession: a changing route
On the final Sunday, the statue is carried through the streets of the town in a procession that lasts several hours, from late afternoon until evening. The route is not fixed: it is redesigned each time to reach different areas of the parish district. In 2026, for example, the path touched streets and parks never crossed before, from Parco SCCAC to Piazza Matilde Serao, from Viale Carlo III to the parks of Via Gentile, returning toward Largo Rotonda with a stop in Piazza Municipio for the laying of a laurel wreath at the War Memorial.
- Departure and arrival: Church of Santa Maria della Pietà, Largo Rotonda
- Musical accompaniment: Brass band (in 2026, the Banda Musicale Città di Caserta)
- Participants: Parish groups and associations, young and old members of the community, civil authorities, and law enforcement
- Duration: Several hours, with the statue returning to the church in the evening
A return to tradition
The 2026 edition marked two highly anticipated returns for the community: after about sixty years, the statue of the Madonna was once again carried on the shoulders of the faithful, and after about thirty years, the procession returned to the peripheral parks. These are details almost invisible to an outside observer, but which represented a sign of a parish getting back on the move for the district.
What to expect
Visitors from outside will find a sober and deeply participatory festival: no large stages or shows, but a town that comes to a standstill. The streets fill with families, the elderly wait for the statue to pass on their doorsteps, and balconies are decorated. The band's music marks the pace, alternating processional marches with traditional Campanian folk songs.
It is also the perfect opportunity to discover San Nicola la Strada, a town in the Caserta outskirts that grew around the ancient road to Naples and is located just minutes from the Royal Palace of Caserta: a modern urban context that preserves, in events like this, a very strong sense of local identity.
Rotonda Procession — edition 2026
The first festival under Father Fernando Latino
The 2026 edition was the first organized under the guidance of Father Fernando Latino, parish priest of Santa Maria della Pietà since September 21, 2025, and brought with it several novelties announced during the preparatory weeks.
The calendar was modified: the festival, traditionally linked to Pentecost Sunday (which fell on May 24 in 2026), was postponed by one week due to the elections, and therefore took place from Friday, May 29 to Sunday, May 31, 2026.
A route never taken before
The Solemn Procession on Sunday, May 31, departed from Largo Rotonda at 5:30 PM, following the morning mass celebrated at Villa Rotonda. The procession crossed about twenty-five streets and parks of the parish district, many of which never crossed before by the procession: Via Cairoli, Via Virgilio, Parco SCCAC, Via Lupis, Via E. Fermi, Via S. Pertini, Parco S. Antonio, Via G. Saragat, Via F. Evangelista, the Flora and Matilde parks, Piazza Matilde Serao, Viale Carlo III, the Speranzas and Rossella parks, Via G. Leone, and Via D. Gentile.
The return took place along Via Milano, Via Firenze, Via Perugia, Viale Italia, and Largo Rotonda, then continued toward Via XX Settembre and Piazza Municipio, where a laurel wreath was laid at the War Memorial in the presence of civil authorities and law enforcement. The final stretch followed Via A. De Gasperi, Viale Carlo III, the West Riding School, and the cross streets Via F. Gioia, Via G. Carducci, and Via G. Galilei, until returning to the church and re-depositing the statue in the chapel niche.
Two historic returns
The community welcomed two choices with particular emotion: the statue of the Madonna was once again carried on the shoulders after about sixty years, and the procession returned to the peripheral parks after about thirty years of absence. Musical accompaniment was provided by the Banda Musicale Città di Caserta.
Programme Rotonda Procession 2026
Leading up to the festival
- Thursday, April 30 — Arrival of the image of Mary Untier of Knots at the parish
- Saturday, May 2 — Evening mass presided over by the Bishop of Caserta, Monsignor Pietro Lagnese, with the conferral of the ministry of Lector to seminarian Andrea Caiazzo
- Sunday, May 3 — Evening mass, Rite of the Untying of the Knots and Raising of the Banner on the church square, with the official announcement of the parish festival
The parish festival
- Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30 — Days of parish celebration in honor of Santa Maria della Pietà
- Sunday, May 31, morning — Holy Mass at Villa Rotonda
- Sunday, May 31, 5:30 PM — Solemn Procession with the statue of Santa Maria della Pietà carried on shoulders, accompanied by the Banda Musicale Città di Caserta
- In Piazza Municipio — Laying of the laurel wreath at the War Memorial with civil authorities and law enforcement
- In the evening — Return of the procession to Largo Rotonda and re-deposition of the statue in the chapel niche
Highlights Rotonda Procession 2026
- The statue of the Madonna carried on the shoulders by the faithful after about sixty years
- The return of the procession to the peripheral parks after about thirty years
- An unprecedented route of over twenty-five streets and parks in the parish district
- The Banda Musicale Città di Caserta accompanying the entire procession
- The Rite of the Untying of the Knots and the Raising of the Banner as a prelude to the festival
- The laying of the laurel wreath at the War Memorial in Piazza Municipio
Prices Rotonda Procession 2026
Practical information — Rotonda Procession
Location
Church of Santa Maria della Pietà, Largo Rotonda, 81020 San Nicola la Strada (CE). The procession then travels through numerous streets, avenues, and parks of the town.
How to get there
By car: San Nicola la Strada can be reached from the exits of the Anas Caserta-Napoli bypass; during the procession, several streets are closed to traffic, so it is advisable to park in nearby streets and continue on foot. By train: Caserta station, a few kilometers away, is connected by city buses and taxis.
Admission
Participation is free and open to all, with no tickets or reservations required.
Tips
Arrive at least half an hour before departure to witness the statue leaving the church. Wear comfortable shoes, as the route is long and lasts for several hours. Final times and the updated route are released by the parish in the days leading up to the event.
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