Back in Bucchianico, a small town in the province of Chieti, is the centuries-old festival of the Banderesi, in honor of St. Urban.
The 2026 edition will take place between May 17 and 25, with the central moments concentrated in the days of the eve and feast, May 24-25, when the village comes alive with rituals, processions and religious celebrations.
The event originates from a military dispute between the municipalities of Bucchianico and Chieti in medieval times.
To the origins of the festival
Legend has it that when the Bucchianichesi were about to surrender to the besieging Teatini, the people rushed from the countryside to the town to escape the enemies’ raids and thus bring reinforcements of men, transporting from the various quarters on wagons everything they needed to survive the siege: food supplies, firewood, livestock, wine.
At the same time, St. Urban appeared in a dream to the captain of the guard, the Sergeant-at-Arms, suggesting an expedient that would disorient the opponents: have the men walk the terraces in a serpentine pattern, creating the illusion of a much larger garrison. The Theatines, deceived, retreated, dissolving the siege.
In remembrance of this episode, the “ciammaichella,” the striking zig-zag movement through the historic center during the procession, still takes place today.
The Festa dei Banderesi is documented as early as the 13th century, when it was celebrated in honor of St. Urban, whose relics had been venerated in Bucchianico since 1243.
The festival program
The rites start the Sunday before, with the large procession from the countryside to the village: the protagonists are the symbolic floats (bread, wine, wood, bed), the women with baskets filled with colorful flowers made by hand from crepe paper, and the men with traditional costumes and plumes.
May 24, the eve of St. Urban, opens one of the most intense moments:
- Opening of the Holy Door in the church named after the patron saint;
- ritual of “entrances,” which is repeated several times as a votive gesture;
- Traditional games of the Banderese in the square.
May 25 is dedicated to religious celebrations and the heart of tradition:
- processions and offering of candles;
- official rites with the investiture of the sergeant-at-arms;
- the grand historical parade with the participation of the entire community, including floats, costumes, music and symbols of peasant culture.
Throughout the event, the village is filled with sounds, colors and scents, with tastings of typical products and moments of conviviality.
Why visit Bucchianico
To visit Bucchianico during the Banderesi festival is to immerse oneself in an authentic Abruzzo, where tradition is still lived and shared.
The village, nestled in a gentle, bright countryside, a landscape furrowed by characteristic badlands, retains an ancient charm: it is home to St. Camillus de Lellis, whose shrine it preserves, and is surrounded by views that evoke almost literary suggestions, among hills and vistas that seem to have come straight out of a fantastic tale.
A small town, but with a great history, which can be conveniently reached from the Chieti/Pescara exit of the A25 highway.
