In Monteleone di Spoleto, from 5 to 9 December 2025, the celebrations dedicated to Saint Nicholas, the Saint of Giving, return. Five days in which the village comes alive with traditions, spirituality and moments of community. The event opens on 5 December with the ritual of the Blessed Spelt, prepared in the rectory and distributed to residents, in memory of the miracle Saint Nicholas is said to have performed here in the 4th century AD.

On 6 December, the highlight of the programme, the International Festival of Social Cinematography “Tulipani di Seta Nera” arrives in Monteleone to celebrate the Saint and his message of solidarity. In the afternoon, a special award will be presented to Maria Grazia Cucinotta for the film Poveri Noi, preceded by its official screening at the Community Centre, which will be transformed into a cinema for the occasion. The actress will then visit some of the village’s symbolic sites, including the Biga Museum, the Baluardo Museum and the Church of San Francesco, recently reopened after restoration works.

The programme continues on 7 December with family activities and tastings of local products. On 8 December the village lights up with Christmas illuminations and its historic 19th-century Nativity scene, while the Biga d’Oro Museum and the MuCart open to visitors. The event concludes on 9 December with the traditional Focone della Venuta in Piazza del Mercato, a rite shared also in the hamlets of Ruscio and Trivio. Exhibitions, screenings and museum visits accompany the event throughout its duration.

For more information:

Festa di San Nicola