Sat 04 May 2019:
Every year people in Cocullo, a small medieval town in Italy’s Abruzzo region, adorn a wooden statue of its patron saint with live snakes and parade it through the streets.
The “serpari” festival, on 1 May, honours San Domenico di Sora for miraculously removing snakes from farmers’ fields in the 11th Century .
However, it is also said to originate from the ancient worship of Angitia, a Roman goddess of snakes worshipped by people in central Italy.
Some people wear outfits that are traditional to the Abruzzo region.
An early 20th-century celebration of the festival CREDIT: REX FEATURES
More and more snakes are added, until San Domenico is almost completely covered.
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