Every spring, the city of Larino bursts into motion for one of the region’s most beloved and visually striking traditions: the Procession of San Pardo, celebrated from May 25–27 in honor of the town’s patron saint. At the heart of the festival is the Carrese, a moving procession of more than one hundred hand-decorated ox-drawn carts covered in flowers, ribbons, greenery, and handcrafted details, each representing families, neighborhoods, or generations of local participation. The carts travel slowly through the streets accompanied by music, horses, traditional dress, church bells, and thousands of spectators, transforming the town into a living tapestry of devotion, memory, and community.
History
The celebration traces its roots back to the year 842, when the relics of Saint Pardo were transferred from Lucera to Larino during a period of instability and coastal Saracen raids. Under Lombard rule after the fall of the Roman Empire, Larino had become an important county within the Duchy of Benevento, and the arrival of the saint’s relics marked both a spiritual and geographic turning point for the town. The population shifted from the vulnerable Roman settlement on the hill to the more protected valley below, where Larino’s historic center developed on a rocky spur. Over centuries, the annual procession evolved into both a sacred commemoration and a profound expression of local identity.
Community
What makes San Pardo especially moving is the way faith, agriculture, artistry, and family history remain inseparable. Many of the carts are still prepared by hand in the days leading up to the procession, with entire families gathering to decorate them together. The oxen themselves are lovingly groomed and adorned, while children often participate dressed in white or riding alongside relatives, learning traditions that have been carried forward for generations. For visitors, the festival offers more than spectacle. It reveals the rhythm of a community that still understands celebration as something collective, inherited, and deeply rooted in place.
Schedule of Events (courtesy of Italea):
- May 25th: The procession sets out from the historic center, stopping at the cemetery to retrieve the statue of Saint Primiano, the city’s co-patron saint, as a symbolic invitation to the festivities honoring Saint Pardo. That night, the floats return to the historic center.
- May 26th: The parade takes place exclusively within the historic center. It concludes with a procession featuring thirteen saints.
- May 27th: The parade departs from the historic center and returns once again to the cemetery to bring back the statue of Saint Primiano. A stop is made here for a communal picnic and feast. Afterward, the procession heads back to the historic center to bring the three-day celebration to a close with its arrival at the Cathedral.
References
- Comune di Larino. (n.d.). Festa di San Pardo. https://www.comune.larino.cb.it/vivere_il_comune/eventi/evento_1.html
- (n.d.). The procession of San Pardo, Larino. https://www.dooid.it/en/the-procession-of-san-pardo-larino/
- e-borghi. (n.d.). Festa di San Pardo (Larino). https://www.e-borghi.com/eventi/larino/festa-di-san-pardo/
- e-borghi. (n.d.). Larino. https://www.e-borghi.com/borgo/larino/
- (n.d.). San Pardo and the Carrese of Larino. https://italea.com/en/eventi/san-pardo-and-the-carrese-of-larino/