Cocullo is a small, picturesque village located in the heart of the Apennine Mountains in the L’Aquila province of Abruzzo. Usually, life goes on quietly, following the gentle and ancient rhythm of nature all year, but things get more exciting every May, when Cocullo’s famous Festa dei Serpari, or feast of the snake handlers, takes place.  

The village is famous for this unique celebration in honor of San Domenico Abate, Cocullo’s patron saint, which is marked by a procession of serpent handlers known as i serpari.