Ver Sacrum, the birth of the Samnites

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Re-enactment in Bojano for the birth of the Samnite people

It is a leap back in time to more than 2,500 years ago when Sabine peoples, following an ox led by Comio Castronius, arrived on the banks of the Biferno River. Ver Sacrum, the Sacred Spring of the Samnites, represents the birth of the Samnite population and the founding of the city of Bojano, which soon became the capital of the Samnite Pentri.

The story, as told by Dionysius of Halicarnassus, speaks of the wars between the Sabines and Umbrians with the former who, failing to defeat the latter, decided to sacrifice the children born that year if they won. Which they did but, following a great famine, they consecrated the children born to Mamerte, the god Mars, hoping to regain abundance. Once they became adults they were sent to conquer other lands to dedicate to the deity. They did so following an ox that stopped on the banks of the Biferno River where they decided to found the first city. This took the name Bovianum, as a tribute to the totemic animal.

The performance
To commemorate the birth of this strong and valiant people, the Ver Sacrum performance, an event in period dress with a parade through the streets of downtown Bojano, takes place on August 13 each year. At the end the performance, on a stage set up in the main square, of eleven scenic pictures showing customs of the Samnite Pentri civilization. These are Sacrifice, Council of Elders, Divination, Migration, Opici and Sabelli, Foundation of Bovaianom, Legio Linteata, Marriage, Old Sage, Funeral Rites and Italic League/”G. Paapi Mutil embratur.”

An event as evocative as it is important to raise awareness of a story that often goes untold.