The festival on the 7th of May became an early version of the Palio, with horse riders in special costumes and the day was made a compulsory holiday for all.
The modern festival starts on May 7th with a procession carrying a figure of San Massimo through the town from the cathedral to the church of the Annunziata. The figure was originally a beautiful baroque silver bust, but this was stolen in 1982 and never seen again: a copy in marble can be seen above the main gate of Penne.
The evening continues with local musicians, and on the following day performances by national stars - Luca Carboni is a particular favorite. The festival ends with a spectacular display of fireworks.
I have no pictures of this event - if you have any I can use without copyright restrictions please let us know!