Each village, town or city in Italy has a patron saint and each day of the year is dedicated to at least one saint (called a feast day in English).  June 24th is the feast day of San Giovanni Battista (St. John the Baptist), patron saint of both Riomaggiore and Monterosso.  Festivities in both places will take place leading up to San Giovanni’s feast day. 

Interested in other feast days for the Cinque Terre villages and other nearby cities? Check out my previous post here. 

Aside from a special Mass today (Friday, June 23rd) at 6pm, villagers in Riomaggiore will also partake in a special procession dedicated to San Giovanni Battista at 9pm. After the procession (which heads to the marina from the big church, and back) there will be fundraisers on the piazzale (church square). Rumor has it there will be fireworks after the procession this year.

Whether you’re religious or not, these processions and festivities are a fascinating way to observe and connect with local traditions.