Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua

Saint Anthony of Padua, patron of the seaside village of Capitello

On June 13th, Capitello, a coastal hamlet in the Municipality of Ispani, in the province of Salerno, comes to a standstill to honor Saint Anthony of Padua. This celebration is one of the most deeply felt in the entire Gulf of Policastro: during the festival days, the small seaside village welcomes worshippers from neighboring towns and across southern Cilento, in a blend of popular devotion, rural tradition, and village life that perfectly captures the most authentic soul of Campania.

The ritual of the 'bread of the poor'

The heart of the festival is the blessing of the 'bread of the poor'. On the eve of the feast, bread prepared in local homes is collected in the square and placed at the foot of the altar. At the end of the open-air Holy Mass, it is blessed and distributed to all those present. It is a simple yet deeply meaningful gesture, linked to the Antonian tradition of charity toward those in need, which is renewed here every year with the participation of entire families.

In recent years, the vigil celebration has been presided over by Monsignor Antonio De Luca, Bishop of the Diocese of Teggiano-Policastro, joined by the village parish priest, Father Carmine Tripodi, and several priests from neighboring parishes. The Bishop himself described the bread blessed in Capitello as "the bread of forgiveness, solidarity, justice, and equality": a phrase that summarizes why this feast is not just a religious appointment, but also a moment of collective identity.

The procession and candlelight parade on June 13th

The festival day follows a well-established schedule, which varies only slightly in timing from year to year:

• Collection of bread in the square, late on the eve of the feast;
• Solemn Holy Mass outdoors, with the blessing and distribution of bread to the faithful;
• Morning Masses on June 13th, with the participation of local clergy;
• Procession with the statue of Saint Anthony through the village streets, down to the seafront;
• Evening candlelight parade, accompanying the Saint from the parish church back to his dedicated chapel.

Music, illuminations, and the flavors of Cilento

Alongside the religious rites, the festival has its popular side: the illuminations that decorate the village streets, the traditional music accompanying the procession, food stalls featuring Cilento products, and the fireworks that close the festivities by the sea. For many emigrants and those who have moved away, June 13th is the perfect excuse to return home: the festival marks the official opening of the summer season in the Gulf of Policastro.

Capitello and the Municipality of Ispani

Ispani is a small municipality in the Campania Region, with fewer than a thousand inhabitants, overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea at the southern tip of Cilento. Its territory is divided into three areas: Ispani (the main town, located on a hill), Capitello (on the coast), and San Cristoforo. Each area maintains its own devotional calendar: the Municipality celebrates Saint Nicholas of Bari and, in mid-August, Saint Roch, while Capitello looks to Saint Anthony of Padua, and San Cristoforo celebrates its namesake saint in late July.

Why it's worth visiting

Those arriving in Capitello during the days of Saint Anthony will find a festival that was not built for tourists: you can witness the blessing of the bread in a crowded square, follow the procession through the low houses of the village, and then stop to eat at the stalls, just steps from the sea. It is a direct and unfiltered way to understand how popular devotion is experienced in Cilento, in one of its most authentic and still deeply communal expressions.