The main patron saint of San Severo is the Blessed Virgin Mary of Succour, whose liturgical solemnity falls on 8 May, while the outdoor celebrations are held on the third Sunday of May and the following Monday. The cult of Our Lady of Succour, born in Palermo in 1306, is also venerated across Italy as patron of Caltavuturo, Castellammare del Golfo, Cori, Montalcino and Sciacca. Associated with the Virgin as main patrons are Saints Severinus the Abbot and Severus the Bishop, whose statues flank hers in the sanctuary dedicated to her.
The feast is marked by two processions, during which numerous statues of saints are carried on shoulders, punctuated by fireworks batteries lit in more than twenty town districts as the sacred processions pass. For the people of San Severo, residents and non-residents alike, it represents an important annual event, a great Baroque liturgy capable of bringing the whole community together. According to tradition, in January 1536 Emperor Charles V honoured the town with his presence, ennobling twenty-four town families and establishing the oligarchic Regime of the Forty, an event re-enacted since 2006 with a historical procession.
