Sant’Alessandro: the island of Ischia travels back in time

The magic of Sant’Alessandro returns to enchant the island of Ischia. A journey through memory, costumes, and the roots of a community that comes together every year around its historic procession, transforming the village into an open-air stage where different eras intertwine in one great narrative.

A procession that begins at the “magnificent fortress”

From the gateway of the Aragonese Castle, the solemn procession that opens the celebrations sets off: figures in period costumes, ladies, knights, musicians, and dancers. The parade is not merely a spectacle, but a ritual of identity that tells the story of Ischia’s traditional costumes throughout the various eras.

Tuesday, August 25: the grand evening parade

At 9:00 PM, the village of Sant’Alessandro welcomes historic groups from all over Italy:

• Arte e Costumi Marinesi and the Colonna court,

• the Living Lady of Castelvetro,

• the Lo Certamen historical group from Popoli,

• the Nundinae Study Center from Gravina,

• the Pistoniers and Flag-Wavers of Cava de’ Tirreni,

• the Minstrels of Poggiomarino,

• the Contrappasso association of Salerno,

• the King’s Falconers.

All of these groups are twinned with the Municipality of Ischia, together with the dancers of the ballet dedicated to Barbara Rumore.

The procession will depart from the village and make its way to Piazza San Girolamo, where performances and official greetings will take place.

Sant’Alessandro is not merely a folkloric celebration: it is a bridge between past and present, a way of preserving collective memory and passing it on to future generations. Every costume, every step of the procession, and every sound of the musicians is a fragment of an identity that the island continues to protect and share.