Festival of Saint Anthony

The Patron Saint of Agordino

The Festival of Saint Anthony celebrates Saint Anthony the Abbot, patron saint of Cencenighe Agordino, a municipality in Agordino in the province of Belluno, nestled among the Dolomites in Val Cordevole. The festival falls on January 17th and, despite the rigor of the Dolomite winter, involves the entire municipality.

A Rich Mountain Tradition

Saint Anthony the Abbot is the protector of animals and is invoked against herpes zoster, the so-called Saint Anthony's fire. The devotion is rooted in peasant and mountain culture: in the past, local memories recall, grandparents used to place an image of the saint at the entrance of every stala (stable), and legend had it that on the evening of January 17th, animals could talk to each other – listening to them was considered a bad omen.

The Porzèl de Sant'Antoni

The saint is depicted as an old man with a long white beard, holding a T-shaped staff and accompanied by a small pig with bells, the porzèl de Sant'Antoni, a symbol of protection against the forces of evil and of the saint's role as a healer. Organized by the Pro Loco of Cencenighe Agordino, the festival preserves this heritage of faith and popular tradition of the Belluno Dolomites.