Spring marks awakening and rebirth, and for Molise, particularly the Samnites, Ver Sacrum or “sacred spring” represents the origin of their people and their history.
According to legend, Ver Sacrum marked the founding of Bovaianom (now Bojano) by the leader Comius Castronius. Guided by an ox, the totemic animal, he stopped on the banks of the Tifernus (Biferno), where he founded what became the capital of the Samnites Pentri. Livy described it as “the capital of the Samnites Pentri, the strongest and richest in men and means.”
Dionysius of Halicarnassus relates that the Sabines, after defeating the Umbrians, fulfilled their vow to sacrifice the children born in the year of victory. However, struck by a severe famine, they consecrated their children to the god Mars and, once adults, sent them in search of new lands. This mythical pattern is found in other legends about the origins of the Italic tribes, united by the journey of young people led by a sacred animal.
To commemorate this event, the historical performance of the Ver Sacrum has been held since 1999 on August 13 in Bojano. The event re-enacts the migration of 7,000 young people from Sabina to Sannio through a historical parade and the staging of eleven theatrical scenes, illustrating the customs and traditions of the Samnite civilization.
The paintings represented are:
- Sacrifice
- Council of Elders
- Divination
- Migration
- Opics and Sabelli
- Foundation of Bovaianom
- Legio Linteata
- Marriage
- Old wise man
- Funeral rites
- Italic League and G. Paapi Mutil embratur
The event, organized by the VER Sacrum Bovaianom-Bojano association, is an important opportunity to rediscover and enhance the history and traditions of the Samnites Pentri.