Wedding of the Tree of Vetralla

A unique ritual in Italy, blending history and nature

The Wedding of the Tree is the oldest festival in Vetralla, a village in the Tuscia region of the province of Viterbo, in northern Lazio. Every year on May 8th, coinciding with the feast of the Apparition of Saint Michael the Archangel, the mayor and the Vetralla community march in a historical pageant up to the Monte Fogliano forest, in front of the Sant'Angelo convent of the Passionist Fathers, to celebrate the symbolic "marriage" between two ancient trees: a sturdy oak and a turkey oak, decorated for the occasion with daffodils, broom flowers, and a white bridal veil. A ritual that, according to tradition, cannot be skipped: otherwise, the forest would risk falling under the jurisdiction of Viterbo.

The origins: the bull of Pope Eugene IV

The possession of the Monte Fogliano forest by Vetralla has been documented since 1360 and was the subject of long and bitter disputes with neighboring Viterbo. The dispute was resolved by Pope Eugene IV with the "Exigit" bull of February 17, 1432, which donated the mountain to the people of Vetralla for their dedication to the Church's cause; further controversies were settled by papal magistrates in 1544, under the pontificate of Paul III. Since about 1470, the anniversary has been celebrated by the entire population: originally, the Castaldo would collect earth and flowers from the forest as a symbol of possession and deliver a small tree adorned with wildflowers to the Priors. Over time, the small tree became an oak, to which a turkey oak was added. Throughout the centuries, the ritual has only been interrupted on very rare occasions, such as in 1944 during the German occupation and in 2020 due to the pandemic. Since 2019, the event has been registered in the Regional Register of Historical Re-enactments of the Lazio Region.

The May 8th ceremony

The central moment takes place on the morning of May 8th: the historical pageant departs from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II with knights, ladies in costume, flag-wavers, and a marching band, traveling about eight kilometers through the Fogliano forest along a rural Way of the Cross to the square in front of the Sant'Angelo convent. Here, at 11:00 AM, the mayor performs the act of recognition and possession of the forest, which the Municipal Secretary records and witnesses sign, while the "wedded" trees receive a blessing amidst music and flowers. It is a solemn yet joyful affirmation of the community's will to live in peace with nature.

Two weeks of events in the Enchanted City

Surrounding the ceremony, the Municipality of Vetralla — with the Department of Culture and Tourism and the Pro Loco Vetralla APS — builds a two-week program: historical conferences in the council chamber, period-costume walks to discover the historic center, the "Uomo Cavallo" running trophy in the Pietro Canonica Municipal Villa, walks through forests and hermitages up to the Hermitage of San Girolamo, extraordinary openings of the Santa Maria in Foro Cassio complex along the ancient Via Francigena, and evening shows. The event is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Tourism, the Lazio Region, and the Province of Viterbo.

Why attend

• To witness a civic ritual that has been uninterrupted for over five centuries, one of a kind in Italy.
• To walk in the beech and turkey oak forests of Monte Fogliano, in the heart of the Tuscia region.
• To discover Vetralla, the "Enchanted City," with its Romanesque churches, historic palaces, and the Via Francigena.
• To experience an authentic, free festival where the entire community is the protagonist.