The Night of the Lumère

The Night of the Lumère: The Abruzzese Halloween

The Night of the Lumère is an event that, between late October and early November, transforms the village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio into an immersive theater of light, storytelling, and memory. Launched in 2018 by the Gira e Rigira group, the festival offers an authentic interpretation of Halloween, starting with the Abruzzese Capetièmpe: the peasant New Year, a time when, according to tradition, the veil between the world of the living and the dead grows thin. The lumère—the small lights flickering along the alleys—give the festival its name and soul.

A stone village among the most beautiful in Italy

The setting is the extraordinary village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy, perched at over 1,250 meters in the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo. Its medieval streets, stone houses, and high-altitude landscape overlooking the Campo Imperatore plateau provide a natural backdrop for an event that blends spirituality, folklore, and contemporary art.

Rituals, legends, and storytelling

The program weaves together moments of reflection and celebration. Recurring highlights from recent editions include:

• "Stories of Capetièmpe": evening walks through the alleys featuring tales, songs, and evocative imagery;
• "The Wheel of Time": a semi-serious lecture on the peasant calendar with folklore expert Domenico De Felice;
• video installations animating the village walls and corners;
• "The Journey of Orpheus", a themed walk accompanied by donkeys;
• pumpkin carving workshops for children and families;
• ritual experiences around the fire and close encounters with nocturnal birds of prey.

Tradition and community

The event is organized by Gira e Rigira with the patronage of the Municipality of Santo Stefano di Sessanio and the collaboration of the local Pro Loco and the Carispaq Foundation. More than just a themed party, The Night of the Lumère is a project of identity rediscovery: it recovers the words, gestures, and beliefs of the rural Abruzzese world and returns them to residents and visitors on a night when the village glows with small flames. An authentic experience for those seeking the deepest side of Abruzzo, far from the commercial stereotypes of Halloween.