THE TABLE OF THE DEAD – THE PROCESSION OF THE DEAD FRIARS XII EDITION
Sunday 1 November 2026
6.00 pm
Motorizzazione Parking – Case Troiano, via Francia di Spoltore (Pescara)
Free participation – Info and bookings: 331/6796820
The Table of the Dead 2026 in Spoltore: the procession of the Dead Friars returns
In Spoltore the dead friars return: among mysterious processions, ancient legends and tables laid for the souls of the deceased
By Luciano Troiano
A candlelit journey through medieval rites, apparitions, knights, ancient burials and Abruzzese and Neapolitan popular traditions. In the Borgo Case Troiano one of the most evocative celebrations comes back to life: one night of the year when, according to an ancient popular belief, the boundary between the world of the living and that of the dead becomes so thin as to allow the souls of the deceased to return to the homes they inhabited, sit at their families' tables and rediscover, at least for a few hours, the affections and flavours of earthly life. A night when doors half-open onto the invisible, candles light the way and silence may be broken by the passage of a mysterious procession of hooded friars.
It is from this intertwining of faith, memory, superstition and popular traditions that "The Table of the Dead – The Procession of the Dead Friars" comes to life, the event that on Sunday 1 November 2026 will once again animate the Borgo Case Troiano, in Spoltore, for its twelfth edition. An appointment now consolidated in the Abruzzese cultural panorama, capable of bringing back to light a heritage of rites and beliefs that for centuries accompanied the life of the communities of central-southern Italy, from Abruzzo to Campania, and that today risks surviving only in the tales of the elderly.
The event, unique of its kind in Abruzzo for its particular reconstruction of ancient rituals, will be held under the high patronage of the Regional Council of Abruzzo, the Presidency of the Regional Council, Abruzzo Turismo and the Municipality of Spoltore.
The journey will begin at 6.00 pm, in the Motorizzazione parking area, where participants will be given the candles intended to light the entire route. It will be precisely that flickering light, symbol of memory and of the bond between the two worlds, that will accompany the public along an itinerary suspended between history, legend and suggestion.
David Ferrante, sociologist and scholar of Abruzzese traditions.
Introducing the event will be the sociologist David Ferrante, a scholar of Abruzzese traditions, alongside Professor Marco Presutti, an expert in Greek and Latin history, who will illustrate the origins and meanings of the rituals dedicated to the deceased, through a narrative that spans the ancient world, the Middle Ages and popular religiosity.
Prof. Marco Presutti, expert in Greek and Latin history.
The first stop will be dedicated to the history of the Well of the Warriors, today hidden beneath an embankment-roundabout, where, according to local historical memory, the soldiers of the Spanish garrison watered their horses during the Viceroyalty of Naples. From here the walk towards the Borgo Case Troiano will begin, along a small road marked by little lights. The route will be punctuated by stops and tales dedicated to characters, events and mysteries that belong to the memory of the place.
And right along the way one of the most spectacular moments of the evening will take shape: the medieval legend of the "Three Living and Three Dead" and the Danse Macabre, ancient representations that remind men how wealth, privileges and social differences disappear before death. Bringing the re-enactment to life will be knights in 13th-century historical clothing, protagonists of a suggestive combat between the equites and Death, staged by the Compagnia Gualdana dell'Orso, specialised in medieval reconstructions.
But the place also guards mysteries that emerge directly from the earth. During the planting of vineyards and olive groves, in fact, bone remains were found that fed the hypothesis of the presence of an ancient cemetery area, perhaps dating back to Roman times. In the olive grove it will be possible to observe the site of the discovery of an ancient burial, while the tales will lead visitors into the world of the spirits of popular tradition. Among these could not be missing "Lu Mazzamurille", the mischievous little spirit with the red cap who, according to Abruzzese beliefs, enjoys disturbing the peace of the living, hiding objects, causing noises and playing pranks. A figure that recalls the ancient universe of woodland creatures, fauns and Italic deities linked to nature and oaks.
Then, when darkness has enveloped the village and the sound of the Zampogne d'Abruzzo accompanies the walk, the most awaited and unsettling moment will arrive.
the Procession of the Dead Friars.
They will advance slowly, in absolute silence, with their faces hidden by the hood and lit candles in their hands. They will follow the participants along the route, just as a legend rooted in the Middle Ages recounts.
The Procession of the Dead Friars
But beware: no one must look them in the eyes.
Tradition warns that crossing the gaze of one of those mysterious religious figures means risking the loss of one's soul. It is one of the most evocative beliefs of the southern popular heritage, linked to the nocturnal processions of the deceased and to the apparitions that, according to ancient tales, could manifest themselves especially on the nights dedicated to their commemoration.
And while the friars cross the village, the houses too will tell a story. At the doors will appear bags of grain, upturned brooms and other ritual symbols, each with a precise meaning, which will be illustrated to visitors.
Inside the houses, instead, the rite that gives the event its name will be renewed: the Table of the Dead.
The kitchens will be laid as for a family lunch. On the tables will be placed ham and cheese, pasta with sauce, chicken with potatoes, bread, water, wine, coffee, biscuits, sweets and fruit. Nothing will be missing, because nothing must be missing for the most awaited guests.
Yet none of the living will be able to touch that food.
The table, in fact, is not prepared for them, but for the souls of deceased family members who, according to tradition, on that night return to visit their home, rediscovering the dishes they loved in life. It is a gesture of welcome and love that spans the centuries, a way to continue to recognise the dead a place in the family. Even household objects will follow rules handed down for generations: embers out and covered, basins without water, pots closed, so that nothing can disturb or hurt the souls during their passage. These are customs that recall ancient funeral rituals, from the refrigerium of the Roman world to the later forms of popular piety, up to the "consolo", the meal offered to a family struck by bereavement, still present today in the memory of southern communities. And the following day, according to ancient custom, the food destined for the dead will be donated to the poor, transforming remembrance into a concrete act of solidarity.
The traditional food the "grano dei morti".
During the evening it will also be possible to visit the altar of the Anime Pezzentelle, an expression of a devotion particularly rooted in Neapolitan and southern culture. They are the souls of Purgatory, those awaiting a prayer, a grace, an act of piety capable of easing their journey. A cult in which the relationship between the living and the dead becomes almost familiar, made of requests, promises, protection and gratitude.
The journey will conclude with another particularly significant moment: the free tasting of the ritual foods of the commemoration of the dead. Participants will be offered the traditional "grano dei morti", prepared with boiled wheat, walnuts, pomegranate, cooked must and red wine. A food rich in symbols, in which the grain of wheat recalls the cycle of life, death and rebirth, while the pomegranate refers to a very ancient symbolism, also linked to the myth of Persephone and the underworld.
Alongside the grain, the famous "torrone dei morti" will be the protagonist, a speciality of the Neapolitan confectionery tradition, made for the occasion by master pastry chef Federico Anzellotti, world pastry champion, who represented Italy at Expo Dubai and at the world fair in Osaka.
During the distribution, the characteristics of the foods and, above all, the symbolic, exoteric and esoteric meanings that tradition attributes to them will be illustrated.
World pastry champion Federico Anzellotti,
It will be an opportunity to rediscover a heritage of gestures, flavours and beliefs still widely widespread in the Mezzogiorno until the mid-twentieth century and progressively disappeared with the changing of society and family habits.
Because the Table of the Dead is not only a historical re-enactment or a walk among legends and apparitions. It is above all the tale of an ancient way of living memory, when remembering one's dead meant continuing to consider them part of the home, the family and the community.
And when the last candles have gone out and the hooded friars have returned into the darkness, all that will be left is to follow the elderly's last piece of advice
Everyone home before midnight and three knocks at the door.
The Table of the Dead.
Because, as is well known, on the night of the dead it is always better not to let in pantefiche and mazzamurille.
THE TABLE OF THE DEAD – THE PROCESSION OF THE DEAD FRIARS
XII edition – Sunday 1 November 2026, 6.00 pm
Motorizzazione Parking – Borgo Case Troiano
Via Francia di Spoltore (Pescara)
Event organised by Fontevecchia in collaboration with Asi Nazionale , Abruzzo Magico and Zampogne d'Abruzzo
free participation – Info and bookings: 331/6796820
Photo Credits:
Fontevecchia Archive
The idea of Patricia Fogaraccio
Mattia Cervoni
Abruzzo Magico
Marco Presutti
Pastry Chef
