Feast of Saint Vitus the Martyr

A celebration reborn after 104 years

The Feast of Saint Vitus the Martyr is the patronal celebration of the hillside districts of Roccalumera, a town on the Ionian coast of the Metropolitan City of Messina, in Sicily. The heart of the event is the small Church of San Vito, built between the 16th and 17th centuries in the Contrisa district, part of the Sciglio hamlet, which has served for centuries as a devotional landmark for the inhabitants of the hills sloping down to the sea.

After being abandoned for nearly a century, the tradition was brought back to life by the San Vito Committee in 2019, marking the first celebration after a 104-year hiatus. Since then, the feast has once again punctuated every June for the districts of Contrisa, San Vito, and Casazza, drawing both local residents and many emigrants who return home for the occasion.

Three days of processions and community

The central rite is the transfer of the statue of Saint Vitus, kept for the rest of the year in the Church of Santa Maria del Rosario in Allume and carried in procession to the San Vito chapel, where it remains on display throughout the festivities. The processions wind through the hillside districts accompanied by a brass band, while Eucharistic celebrations led by priests from the Archdiocese of Messina, Lipari, and Santa Lucia del Mela take place in the church.

Beyond the religious dimension, the feast is a moment of strong community bonding: musical evenings, folk groups dedicated to Southern traditions, a traditional raffle, and a highly anticipated fireworks display close out the days. There is no shortage of local culinary specialties, particularly oven-baked meat and traditional products, prepared thanks to the tireless efforts of the San Vito Committee.

A devotion rooted in the land

The feast originates and unfolds in a charming rural setting: the Contrisa district, situated at an altitude of nearly 400 meters on a plateau overlooking the sea, had only a few dozen inhabitants in the last century and today thrives primarily thanks to the strength of its community ties. This is why the Feast of Saint Vitus the Martyr holds a value that transcends the ritual: it is the thread that binds a small community and its identity, preserved and renewed from generation to generation.

The event is organized by the San Vito Committee in collaboration with the Santa Maria del Rosario Parish in Allume and the Saints Cosma and Damiano Parish in Sciglio, under the patronage of the Municipality of Roccalumera.