Feast of Sant'Ilarione Abate 2026 in Caulonia: programme from 17 to 25 October

Centro storico di Caulonia e Marina di Caulonia · Caulonia, Costa Viola, Calabria

17 October 2026 – 25 October 2026

From 17 to 25 October 2026 Caulonia celebrates its patron saint, Sant'Ilarione Abate (Saint Hilarion the Abbot), with a civic programme run by the festival committee and the parishes, alongside the religious celebrations that began on 8 October. On Saturday 17 the relic is carried in procession to the Calvario and to the saint's hermitage, and at 9.30pm Piazza Mese hosts a 90s night, the raffle draw and fireworks. On Sunday 18 there is a race of carretti (home-built wooden carts) at 2pm in Piazzetta Bellavista and traditional games at 7pm. From 19 to 23 October the relic visits the outlying hamlets; on Saturday 24 there is a procession and the show “Delfino e le sirene” at Marina di Caulonia; on Sunday 25 a procession through the old town follows the 5pm Mass, and at 9pm the comedy “...E fuori nevica!” is staged in Piazza Seggio. Events are held in the squares and the sources mention no tickets.

Sant'Ilarione Abate, patron saint of Caulonia

Sant'Ilarione Abate (Saint Hilarion the Abbot) was a 4th-century hermit monk, born near Gaza, who died at Paphos in Cyprus in 371. His life was written by Saint Jerome, who describes him as a disciple of Saint Anthony and the founder of hermit life in Palestine; according to tradition he travelled widely around the Mediterranean, staying for a time in Sicily. The Roman Martyrology remembers him on 21 October, and Caulonia's feast is built around the days near that date.

In Caulonia the bond with the saint is also a place: the hermitage of Sant'Ilarione, within the municipality, a complex thought to date from late Byzantine or Norman-Swabian times, built around a tower with a chapel. It is the destination of the relic pilgrimage on 17 October. The devotion has followed emigrants too: in Adelaide, Australia, the large community from Caulonia has celebrated Saint Hilarion for decades.

Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October: hermitage, 90s night, fireworks and cart race

On Saturday 17 October the day begins at 8am with the novena and Mass. At 9am the statue and relic set off in procession to the Calvario; at 10am the relic continues on pilgrimage to the hermitage, where Mass is celebrated around midday. Mass at the Calvario follows at 6pm, then at 9pm a prayer for peace and an all-night vigil.

At 9.30pm in Piazza Mese, in the old town, the civic programme opens with “Riviviamo gli anni '90” (a 90s revival night), followed by the raffle draw and a fireworks display by Giochi Pirici Glorioso, with food stands. On Sunday 18, after 11am Mass in the Chiesa Matrice, the relic and statue are welcomed at Porta Pusterla around midday and carried back to church; at 2pm there is a race of carretti, home-built wooden carts, in Piazzetta Bellavista, at 6pm a solemn Mass and at 7pm traditional games run by the Pro Loco in Piazza Mese.

19 to 24 October: the relic in the hamlets and an evening by the sea

From Monday 19 to Saturday 24 October the relic goes on peregrinatio. Every morning at 9.30am Mass is said in the Chiesa Matrice, and every afternoon at 5pm the celebration moves to a different hamlet of the large municipality: Ursini on Monday 19, Campoli on Tuesday 20, Crochi on Wednesday 21, San Nicola on Thursday 22 and Focà on Friday 23. On Friday 23 at 4pm the Circolo il Delfino in the old town hosts a briscola card tournament.

On Saturday 24 October the feast moves down to the sea. At 6pm there is Mass and a procession with the relic at Caulonia Marina; at 9pm, in Piazza della Pace at Marina di Caulonia, the show “Delfino e le sirene” is billed as an evening of voices, rhythm and fantasy, with food stands.

Sunday 25 October: procession through the old town and theatre in Piazza Seggio

The last day is Sunday 25 October. At 11am the relic returns in procession from Piazza Bellavista to the Chiesa Matrice. At 5pm a Mass of thanksgiving is celebrated, followed by the procession of the saint's statue through the streets of the old town.

At 9pm in Piazza Seggio, the local company Teatro Fuorisquadro Caulonia stages “...E fuori nevica!”, a comedy by Vincenzo Salemme directed by Francesco D'Aquino. Throughout the festival the town is lit by illuminations from Fazzalari of Riace, and the programme also lists the town band, the Complesso Bandistico Città di Caulonia “M. Pietro Di Mauro”. Mind the clock change: in the night between Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October Italy goes back to winter time, and Sunday's times already follow the new hour.

Organisers, admission and practical information

The festival is organised by the Comitato Festa (festival committee) together with the parishes of Caulonia, led by the parish priests Don Giuseppe Depace and Don Lorenzo Spurio; the poster also carries the logos of the municipality of Caulonia and the Calabria Region, and the traditional games on 18 October are run by the Pro Loco di Caulonia. Deputy mayor Giovanni Maiolo has announced that he is donating his October councillor's allowance to the celebrations.

The civic events take place outdoors in the squares and the sources mention no entrance tickets; at the food stands on 17 and 24 October you pay for what you eat. The sources do not mention dedicated parking or a rain plan: the old town is a maze of narrow, steep lanes, so it is best to leave the car before entering the village.

How to get to Caulonia and Marina di Caulonia

Caulonia has two parts: the old hilltop town, at about 300 metres above sea level, and Marina di Caulonia on the Ionian coast, which grew after the floods of 1951 and 1953. The SS106 Jonica coast road runs through the Marina: from Reggio Calabria and Locri head north along the coast, from Catanzaro head south. From the Tyrrhenian side, leave the A2 motorway at Rosarno and take the Jonio-Tirreno expressway to the Ionian coast, then continue north on the SS106. From the Marina, drive up to the old town.

By train, Caulonia station is at Marina di Caulonia and is served by regional trains on the Ionian line. The evenings of 17, 18, 23 and 25 October are in the old town, while the evening of 24 October is at the Marina: if you arrive by train, plan how to get up to the hilltop village.

The old town of Caulonia: what to see

The old town is a tangle of narrow, steep lanes built on a hilltop ringed by cliffs. Piazza Mese, Piazza Seggio and Piazza Baglio were once the religious, political and commercial centres of the town; the Chiesa Matrice stands in Piazza Mese, at the highest point. The Carmine church holds the Cristo alla colonna, a national monument carved from a single piece of wild olive wood, and the surviving town gates include Porta Pusterla, linked to the castle walls, and Porta Allaro.

Until 1863 the town was called Castelvetere: it took the name Caulonia because the ancient Achaean colony of Kaulon was believed to have stood here, but its remains were later identified by the archaeologist Paolo Orsi at Punta Stilo, in the municipality of Monasterace. In August the old town hosts the Kaulonia Tarantella Festival. For other events in Calabria, see the events calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When is the 2026 feast of Sant'Ilarione in Caulonia?

The civic programme runs from Saturday 17 to Sunday 25 October 2026. The religious celebrations began on Thursday 8 October and also end on 25 October, with the procession of the statue after the 5pm Mass.

When are the fireworks?

On Saturday 17 October in Piazza Mese, after the 9.30pm 90s night and the raffle draw. The display is by Giochi Pirici Glorioso.

What time are the processions?

Saturday 17 at 9am to the Calvario, from where the relic continues to the hermitage; Saturday 24 at 6pm at Caulonia Marina with the relic; Sunday 25 at 11am the relic's return from Piazza Bellavista and, after the 5pm Mass, the procession of the statue through the old town.

Is admission free?

The civic events take place in the town squares and the sources mention no entrance tickets. At the food stands you pay for what you eat.

Where are the shows held?

In the old town: Piazza Mese (17 and 18 October), Piazzetta Bellavista (cart race) and Piazza Seggio (theatre on 25 October). On Saturday 24 the evening is in Piazza della Pace at Marina di Caulonia.

Who was Sant'Ilarione Abate?

A 4th-century hermit monk born near Gaza who died in Cyprus in 371, whose life was written by Saint Jerome. He is remembered on 21 October and is the patron saint of Caulonia.

Can I get to Caulonia by train?

Caulonia station, on the Ionian line, is at Marina di Caulonia. The old town, where most of the festival takes place, is higher up on the hill, so you will need transport from the station.

Are there events for families and children?

On Sunday 18 October there is a race of home-built wooden carts at 2pm in Piazzetta Bellavista and traditional games run by the Pro Loco at 7pm in Piazza Mese.

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