Patron saint festival In 47 days
Saint Andrew the Apostle, patron of the town between Bologna and the Reno
📅 Every year, on 30 November
Castel Maggiore celebrates Saint Andrew the Apostle on 30 November.
Exactly 9 kilometres north of Bologna's historic center sits a municipality with a misleading name. While Castel Maggiore translates to "Great Castle," the origins actually trace back to Castaniolo Maggiore, meaning "Bigger Chestnut Tree," coined to distinguish the settlement from the nearby village of Castagnolino.
Currently counting 17,507 residents, the town belongs to the Unione Reno Galliera. Serving as a practical residential hub for the broader metropolitan area, it is defined by its immediate proximity to the regional capital rather than grand medieval monuments.
The Castel Maggiore guide
What to eat here 1
Tagliatelle al Ragù
Where to stay
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Events & festivals 1
Next up: Saint Andrew the Apostle, patron of the town between Bologna and the Reno, Monday 30 November
Getting there
Nearest airport: Bologna Marconi, 7 km away
🎉 Festivals and feasts in Castel Maggiore 1
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Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
Near Castel Maggiore
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
Places to see within 25 km
Outside Castel Maggiore, but an easy day trip away.
Castello Sanfelice 📍 Bagnoli del Trigno · 4.1 km At 783 metres above Bagnoli, the fortress that guarded the Castel di Sangro-Lucera drove road. chiesa di San Silvestro 📍 Bagnoli del Trigno · 4.5 km A church with no façade, wedged between two rocks, and a crucifix with jointed arms. Castello d'Evoli 📍 Castropignano · 9.4 km Legend gives it 365 rooms: the d'Evoli stronghold above the Biferno valley Santuario italico di Pietrabbondante 📍 Pietrabbondante · 11 km The theatre and temples where the Pentri Samnites gathered their senate, above the Trigno. castello D'Alessandro 📍 Pescolanciano · 11 km A drawbridge finished in 1691, relics in the ducal chapel, German officers in 1943. torre di Oratino 📍 Oratino · 12 km A doorway high above the ground and a ladder to haul up: the Norman tower of Oratino.