San Cataldo Celebration
Event Type
Festival
Date
From 08 May 2026
to 10 May 2026
Distance to the Port
6 Minutes Drive
The Festa di San Cataldo is a traditional celebration held in May in Taranto to honor the city’s patron saint. The event features solemn religious processions, lively music, and vibrant cultural activities that bring the entire community together. Along the seafront, locals and visitors enjoy street food, fireworks, and a festive atmosphere that blends devotion with the joyful spirit of southern Italian traditions.
In Taranto, on 8 May is not just the feast day of Saint Cataldo: it is the day when the city rediscovers its soul. Faith, tradition and a sense of belonging intertwine in the historic procession by sea, considered one of the most spectacular in Apulia. It all begins with the ceremony of 'u pregge', an ancient rite in which the Metropolitan Chapter hands over the silver statue of the patron saint to the city authorities for the duration of the celebrations.
In the late afternoon, the saint is carried through the city centre on a festively decorated float until boarding the motor vessel “Cheradi”, provided by the Royal Navy. All around, dozens of illuminated boats accompany the procession across the Mar Grande and the Mar Piccolo. The most thrilling moment comes as the procession passes through the navigable channel: the swing bridge opens whilst torches and fireworks descend from the "Aragonese" Castle, illuminating the harbour.
The spiritual heart of the celebration is the "Cappellone di San Cataldo" in Taranto Cathedral, considered one of the greatest masterpieces of Italian Baroque. Designed by Cosimo Fanzago, it is clad in polychrome marble from Carrara. The frescoes are the work of Paolo De Matteis, whilst the marble statues were created by Giuseppe Sanmartino, the same artist who sculpted the famous Veiled Christ in Naples. The statue of the saint still rests in the chapel today, symbolically returning each year to embrace the city's two seas.
