Cocullo is a small town in the L’Aquila province, nestled in the mountains between the Peligna Valley and the Marsica region. It has become famous because every year, at the beginning of May, it hosts the Feast of the Snake Handlers, in honor of Saint Domenico Abate, who according to tradition, is the protector of people from venomous and rabid animals.
Every first Thursday of May (since 2012 on May 1st), the statue of the saint, around which cervoni of all sizes (harmless snakes caught in the surrounding countryside) coil, parades through the streets of the town amid songs and prayers, followed by a large procession of devotees and under the watchful eyes of curious visitors from all over the world.
In its simplicity, the ceremony has a very strong visual and emotional impact, perpetuating a centuries-old rite that blends religious and pagan elements. The snakes that do not fit on the statue “parade” carried in arms by the locals, who begin catching them already in the weeks leading up to the festival.
