Feast of Blessed Antonio

A Feast in the Name of Amandola's Patron Saint

The Feast of Blessed Antonio is the main religious event of the winter in Amandola, a village in the Sibillini Mountains in the Province of Fermo, in the Marche region. It is celebrated every year on January 25th, the day of the death of Blessed Antonio Migliorati, an Augustinian friar and patron saint of the town, and is preceded by a triduum of preparation that spiritually guides the community towards the solemnity.

Who Was Blessed Antonio

Antonio Migliorati was born in Amandola on January 17, 1355, into a peasant family from the slopes of Castel Manardo. Attracted by the fame of sanctity of Nicholas of Tolentino, he joined the Augustinians in Amandola and was ordained a priest around 1380. Upon returning to his homeland, he served as prior of the convent of Sant'Agostino several times, which he expanded. He died at the age of 95 on January 25, 1450, and was immediately the object of popular veneration: his cult, alive since time immemorial, was officially confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1759. His remains are preserved in the Sanctuary of Blessed Antonio, inside the Church of Sant'Agostino, a place of devotion and pilgrimage.

The Festival Program

The heart of January 25th is liturgical. The celebrations take place in the Church of Blessed Antonio with a schedule of holy masses throughout the day, including the solemn mass animated by the participation of the Augustinian Fathers and the Confraternity, historical custodians of devotion to the Blessed. The parish church is that of Saints Ilario and Donato.

Around the religious event, Amandola weaves cultural and civil initiatives that make the feast a community gathering: meetings and presentations at the Auditorium, moments dedicated to younger generations, and opportunities to promote the Sibillini territory. The feast falls on a weekend rich in events that combine religious tradition, culture, and local development.

The Tradition of Blessed Antonio in Amandola

Devotion to Blessed Antonio spans the entire Amandola calendar. Alongside the winter liturgical feast in January, the village also dedicates large popular summer celebrations to its patron saint, with the famous Procession of the Canestrelle — a historical re-enactment born in 1897 in which men and women in costume offer grain to the patron saint in the square of the Sanctuary of Sant'Agostino. The January feast represents its more intimate and collected face, linked to the date of the Blessed's death and the community's prayer.

Why It's Worth the Trip

Participating in the Feast of Blessed Antonio means discovering the authentic soul of a village in the Marche Apennines in the heart of winter, amidst the suggestions of the Monti Sibillini National Park. It is an opportunity to visit the Sanctuary of Sant'Agostino and to experience a centuries-old devotional tradition that continues to unite the inhabitants of Amandola and the surrounding villages.