FOR THE FIRST time in 40 years, Vincenzo Labbate will not be playing the clarinet with his orchestra companions on Pentecost Sunday. As he walks through the streets of Accettura, his hometown, he notes how unusually quiet it is this year. “There’s a melancholic atmosphere these days. Normally, you could breathe excitement in the air,” Labbate says.

Between late May and early June, the narrow alleys of Accettura—a small, agricultural village tucked away in the hills of the Basilicata region in southern Italy—turn into a bustling labyrinth of residents and tourists for Maggio di San Giuliano, the town’s sacred festival.