Feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot

A winter tradition in the heart of Sabina

When mid-January arrives and the hills of Sabina are still wrapped in the winter chill, Forano gathers to honor Saint Anthony the Abbot. The festival takes place on the Sunday following January 17th, the day the Church commemorates the Egyptian monk considered the father of Eastern monasticism. It is a permanent fixture on the calendar of recurring events of the Municipality of Forano, in the province of Rieti, Lazio.

This is not an event created for tourism; it is a date passed down through generations, as is the case in most villages in the Rieti area, where devotion to Saint Anthony the Abbot remains deeply felt. For this reason, the festival retains an intimate and authentic character, closer to the life of the village than to the logic of large-scale events.

The saint of animals and fire

In the Italian popular imagination, Saint Anthony the Abbot is the protector of animals, stables, and livestock. In agricultural communities, his feast day marked a precise moment in the farming year: domestic and working animals were blessed, and protection was sought for the beasts in the stable and for the coming harvests. The saint is traditionally depicted with a tau-shaped staff, a piglet at his feet, and a flame, symbolizing the fire associated with him.

From this collection of symbols stem the rites that still characterize January 17th across the peninsula, and particularly in the Rieti area: the blessing of animals, the blessing of fire, and the distribution of blessed bread and sweets. In Sabina, the occasion is also traditionally linked to the anise ring cake (ciambella all'anice), a simple homemade dessert that accompanies the festive day.

What to expect in Forano

The day revolves around the religious dimension—the mass in honor of the saint and the blessing—and the community gathering in the historic center. Forano is a medieval village that grew around the San Bartolomeo hill and flourished under the Strozzi family, who were responsible for the layout of the square, the baronial palace, and the Church of the Most Holy Trinity, built at the end of the 17th century. It is within this fabric of alleys, small squares, and stairways that the festival comes to life.

• When: The Sunday following January 17th
• Where: Historic center of Forano (RI), Lower Sabina
• Character: Religious and popular festival, free admission
• Key traditions: Blessing of animals, blessing of fire, traditional festival sweets

Forano and its calendar of festivals

The Feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot effectively opens the season of Forano's celebrations. A few days later, on January 20th, the village celebrates Saint Sebastian, its patron saint, with the traditional morning wake-up call; throughout the year, this is followed by the feast of Saint Blaise, the Passion and Good Friday Procession, the Mid-August Pasta Festival, and the August Festivals. A busy calendar that clearly shows how much the community life of this village in the province of Rieti is still marked by its festivals.

Why visit

Those who arrive in Forano in January will not find a grand, spectacular event, but something rarer: a community gathering in winter on the day of the saint who protected its stables and fields for centuries. It is an opportunity to discover a lesser-known village just over fifty kilometers from Rome, to walk through its historic streets, and to overlook the landscape of Sabina, made of olive groves, gentle hills, and small perched towns.