The small town of Nola, located just 30 km outside of Naples, hosts a famous Festa dei Gigli, literally Lily Festival. Included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage list, the Gigli Festival is a vibrant celebration featuring giant wooden obelisks, honoring the patron of the town St. Paolino.
Festa dei Gigli History
The ancient roots of the celebration date back to 431AD—the year of San Paolino's arrival from captivity in North Africa. Paolino was a Roman poet, writer, and senator who was baptized as a Christian and became the bishop of Nola in Campania. In 431 AD, Nola was devasted by the Vandals, and many locals were taken as prisoners. Paolino proposed to exchange himself with a prisoner and was taken into captivity in Africa. There, Paolino became known as a prophet and eventually got released. As the narration goes, the bishop returned to Italy by boat via the sea and was met by endless crowds of townspeople. They joyously escorted him with the banners of the eight local tradesmen and handfuls of lilies.
For ages, the residents of Nola have remembered this happy day with the annual celebration. June 22 is marked with a solemn religious procession led by people carrying the St. Paolino statue. However, the main highlight of the celebration is the parade, known as Ballata dei Gigli or Ballad of Lilies, which occurs on a Sunday closest to June 22. The main attributes are Paolino's boat and obviously the lilies, eight of them to be precise, indicating the number of tradesmen.
Procession of the silver bust of San Paolino (June 22)
The remains of St. Paolino are buried in the Nola Cathedral. Another relic, which is kept in the cathedral, is the silver bust of the saint, which is paraded through Nola streets annually on June 22. The day starts with holy masses paying tribute to San Paolino. The parade occurs in the late afternoon, around 7 pm, when the bust of San Paolino is carried in procession through the streets.
Ballata dei Gigli (June 30, 2024)
The culmination of the holiday occurs on the main square of the city, Piazza Duomo, The Festa lasts from early afternoon to dawn on Monday. The main parade starts at about 4 pm, passing via San Felice, Piazza Collegio, Piazza Immacolata, Piazza Marconi, Piazza Paolo Maggio, Piazza Calabrese, Piazza Marcello, and other central streets and squares. The main themes of the celebration are lilies and the boat.
With time, the original flowers were transformed into 25-metre high and 2500-kg obelisks resembling lilies. They are handcrafted of chestnut or poplar wood and ornated by papier-mâché artists. Eight gigantic lilies are carried through the town streets by 120 men, this is known as a “paranze”. A makeshift boat is also carried through the streets.
The procession is accompanied with religious, Neapolitan and Italian music as well as the cheers of 35,000 adoring spectators. Everyone is welcome to join the merriments of Festa dei Gigli in Nola and experience this unique and spectacular tradition.
