The Co-cathedral of the SS. Salvatore in Montalcino

Festivities in the Streets

The bond between the co-cathedral and the Ruga district is very strong. Throughout the year, numerous cultural and recreational activities are organized by the Ruga which are important moments of group life when the church and the space outside it are lived with deep feeling.
The last Sunday of July is the Feast of the Holy Savior, the protector of the Ruga district. The festivities begin in the morning when a delegation dressed in historical costume proceeds to the co-cathedral, where Mass is celebrated, with the traditional gift of a wax candle from the district to the church. Then a big lunch is served on the lawn in front of the cathedral or along the street. Later in the afternoon is a picnic with games (a lottery with prizes offered by the merchants of Montalcino, fishing for bottles, etc.) followed by afternoon Mass, which used to be celebrated in the cathedral when this was the seat of the parish and now takes place in the church of Sant’Egidio.
In August comes a festival for the opening of the hunting season, and in October the thrush festival, both instituted around the middle of the last century.
Another major feast day is Corpus Domini. The church of Corpus Domini, today the home church of the Ruga district, was the oratory for the lay company of Corpus Domini. In recent years, the tradition of the “infiorata,” decorating with flowers, has been revived: a large coat of arms made of flower petals is placed in front of the church and floral compositions fill the streets of the neighborhood, including the Via del Duomo leading to the cathedral and the cathedral itself.
On 7 May  a procession is held, when all the districts offer a wax candle to the Madonna del Soccorso, the icon which is so greatly venerated for having protecting the town and the faithful on many occasions in their times of difficulty. The delegations from each district (two pages and a standard-bearer) start out from their respective headquarters and meet at the Town Hall, then from here proceed together to the shrine of the Madonna del Soccorso, where they offer candles marked with the coat-of-arms of the four districts and then sing the litanies. The next day, 8 May, a Mass is celebrated for the anniversary of the Coronation of the Virgin. Every twenty-five years the feast of the Quinquelustri (five times five years) is held, when the venerated image is unveiled. Other solemnities are celebrated on 12 July and 8 December.