solennità

Solennità is an Italian noun meaning solemnity, a ceremonial or formal occasion characterized by dignity and ritual. In religious contexts, particularly within the Catholic Church, it denotes a feast day of high rank in the liturgical calendar. A solennità is celebrated with greater solemnity than ordinary days or other feasts, with prescribed prayers, readings, antiphons, and often special vestments, music, processions, or incense. The liturgical calendar distinguishes ranks, placing solennità (solemnities) at the top, above feasts and memorials; some solemnities are observed universally across the Latin Church, while others are celebrated with regional customs.

Examples of solemnities include major feasts such as Christmas, Easter, the Assumption of Mary, the Immaculate Conception, and All Saints. In practice, the designation signals that the day carries particular significance for the faithful and requires a more elaborate liturgical celebration.

Beyond religious use, solennità can also refer to any ceremonial public occasion marked by pomp and formality, such as state ceremonies, inaugurations, or formal commemorations.

Etymology: solennità derives from Latin sollemnitās, from sollemnis, meaning ceremonial or annual, reflecting its sense of formal observance.