Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua - Oratory of Remeneglia

A festival of devotion in the heart of the Alessandria Apennines

The Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua at the Oratory of Remeneglia is one of the most cherished religious observances in the municipality of Fabbrica Curone, in the province of Alessandria, in south-eastern Piedmont. Remeneglia is a small hamlet of the municipality, situated a short distance from the main town in the upper Val Curone, among the mountains of the Piedmontese Apennines that mark the border between four regions. Here, around the modest yet intimate oratory, the community gathers every year in mid-June to honor the Saint of Padua with a festival that weaves together popular faith and village tradition.

The triduum and the solemn celebration

The festival opens with a preparatory triduum in the evenings leading up to the feast: for three days, the community gathers in the oratory for evening devotions dedicated to Saint Anthony. The highlight is the day of the feast, when the Holy Rosary is recited at 8:30 PM, followed at 9:00 PM by Holy Mass with the Act of Entrustment to Saint Anthony. Celebrations have previously featured Father Augusto Piccoli, Chaplain of the State Police of Alessandria and Asti.

The candlelight procession

At the end of Mass, the faithful gather for the procession that winds through the streets of the hamlet. As evening falls, the candlelight procession offers one of the most evocative moments of the festival: the glow of the candles illuminates the village and accompanies the path of devotion along the narrow streets of Remeneglia, in an atmosphere of intimate spirituality typical of mountain patronal festivals.

Conviviality and tradition

Following the religious observances, the festival continues in a spirit of conviviality. There is no shortage of the riffa (traditional raffle), the incanto (an auction of gifts donated by the community), and the final reception—occasions that strengthen the bonds between the village residents and the many devotees who travel up to Remeneglia for the event.

Fabbrica Curone and the Val Curone

Fabbrica Curone is one of the most mountainous municipalities in the province of Alessandria, located in the upper Val Curone on the borders between Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, and Liguria. The area is known for the Romanesque church of Santa Maria Assunta, the production of the rare Montebore cheese, and the trails that climb towards Monte Giarolo. The Feast of Saint Anthony in Remeneglia represents one of the occasions when this secluded corner of the Piedmontese Apennines rediscovers its identity as a community, acting as a guardian of religious traditions passed down from generation to generation.