Feast of Saint James the Apostle and Fish Festival – Itala Marina

The 2025 edition of the Saint James Feast in Itala Marina renewed the maritime ritual that brings the coastal district of the municipality of Itala, in the Province of Messina, to life every year around July 25th.

After the Eucharistic celebration on the beach in front of the Church of San Giacomo, the statue of the patron saint of fishermen was carried on the shoulders of thirty-five bearers in red vests and hoisted onto a large boat decorated with flowers, lights, and flags. The boat carrying the saint then set sail, followed by a procession of worshippers' boats, in a sea procession accompanied by musical bands along the coast.

The festivities continued in the following days with moments of adoration, a solemn mass, and a procession along Via Roma, while the Fish Festival on the beach offered tastings of local catch and musical performances, confirming the strong bond of the Itala Marina community with the sea and its folkloric-religious tradition.

July 25 — Saint James' Day

• 18:00 — Blessing of the bearers and departure of the statue from the Church of San Giacomo
• 18:30 approx. — Eucharistic celebration on the beach
• Following — Sea procession of the statue on an adorned boat, with a procession of worshippers' boats and accompaniment by the musical bands of Itala Superiore and Fiumedinisi; award ceremony for the best-decorated boat
• 21:30 — Fish Festival on the beach with tastings and musical performances

Following days

• Eucharistic adoration in the Church of San Giacomo
• Solemn mass
• Procession along Via Roma

Note: program reconstructed based on the documented conduct of the festivities, with indicative times according to the custom of the festival.