Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua - U Viaggio a Cannedda

A festival that lives twice a year

In Capizzi, an ancient village perched on the Nebrodi mountains in the province of Messina, the feast in honor of Saint Anthony of Padua does not end in a single day. Popular devotion divides it into two moments: the liturgical solemnity of June 13th, preceded by the "tredicina" (thirteen-day prayer), and the grand external festivities at the beginning of September, when the town fills with pilgrims, riders, and visitors drawn by one of the most identity-defining rites of inland Sicily.

U Viaggio a Cannedda: the pilgrimage in the Nebrodi

The heart of the festival is "U Viaggio a Cannedda", the pilgrimage that, during the night between September 1st and 2nd, leads dozens of devotees from the Church of Saint Anthony, in Piazza dei Miracoli, to the Cannella area (known as Cannedda in the local dialect), in the territory of the neighboring municipality of Caronia. According to tradition, the Saint stopped there for an entire night during his travels. Pilgrims set off at dawn, some on foot and barefoot, others on horseback, facing a four-hour march through the woods of the Nebrodi Park. Once at Cannedda, after the Eucharistic celebration and the blessing of bread and laurel, the faithful share a communal banquet before returning.

The equestrian parade and the urdunara

On the afternoon of September 2nd, the pilgrims return to town and bring to life the spectacular equestrian parade: mules and horses decked out for the festival, adorned with laurel leaves and antique harnesses, parade through the streets of the historic center. About five hundred riders participate, among whom the urdunara guild stands out—the ancient wood and charcoal transporters who formed a company in 1922, adopting the banner of Saint Anthony as their symbol. It is a living page of the rural and pastoral culture of the Nebrodi, filled with banners, bells, and traditional trappings.

The days of the festival

On September 1st, the blessing of wine and cheese takes place, symbolic products of the local mountain economy. September 2nd is dedicated to the pilgrimage and the equestrian parade. On September 3rd, the final day, the members of the Archconfraternity of Saint Anthony parade in white robes from the Saint's church to the Mother Church for the Solemn Mass; in the afternoon, the statue of Saint Anthony is carried in procession together with the Madonna delle Grazie through the streets of the town, while the day closes with a fireworks display and musical entertainment.

Capizzi and the Nebrodi

Situated at an altitude of over 1,100 meters, Capizzi is one of the highest municipalities in Sicily and proudly preserves this centuries-old tradition, which weaves together faith, mountain identity, and the memory of ancient guilds. For the visitor, witnessing the Viaggio a Cannedda means discovering an authentic and little-known side of the province of Messina and the entire Sicilian Region.