Explore the best of our Abruzzo Event calendar this week and this month with our handy list of sagre, feste and events in Chieti, Pescara, Teramo and L’Aquila provinces. Click on any of the map’s pins to discover each fun-filled Abruzzo event that is local to you or deserving of a road trip! Alternatively, on the desktop version, scroll through the event flyers on the right and click thru to discover the event’s full details.
Reviews and Year List
To read our reviews of events and regional-wide events click here and a list of the key sagre in Abruzzo.
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Each May, the quiet mountain town of Goriano Sicoli – a place beloved by artist M.C. Escher for its striking geometry and timeless spirit — comes alive for the Festa di Sant’Gemma.
This remarkable celebration isn’t just a Catholic devotion; its roots reach deep into the ancient past, tracing back to pre-Christian rites honouring the Greek goddess Demeter, protector of fertility and the harvest. Over time, the people of Goriano blended these early May Queen traditions with the veneration of Saint Gemma, a 13th-century shepherdess whose strength of character made her turn down a local nobleman who locked her up, imposing charity which is still honoured today.
The festival is a vivid tapestry of sacred rituals, joyful processions that trace San Gemma’s steps from her nearby birthplace to Goriano, and age-old colourful customs, the offering of special blessed bread echoing ceremonies that once praised the earth’s rebirth each spring which is distributed by the unmarried girls of the village.
Read our full review – Ancient May Magic, Timeless Celebration: Santa Gemma Festival in Goriano Sicoli
We will do our best to keep this calendar up to date, however in the case of last-minute cancellations due to adverse weather conditions, Covid outbreaks and so forth this may not always be possible. In these cases, you should contact the event organiser for a refund as we are not responsible for the events on the calendar, only compiling them into an easy list. As soon as we have news from an organiser when any event will be rescheduled we will update the calendar accordingly.
If you would like to add your community event(s) to the Life In Abruzzo calendar, simply fill in the form to give us your suggestion!
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