Festival of Saint Anthony — The Canunsei of Saint Anthony

Saint Anthony Abbot, patron saint of Castelcovati

The Festival of Saint Anthony, known as «I Canunsei de Sant'Antone», is the patronal feast of Castelcovati, a municipality in the Province of Brescia in the Bassa bresciana region. The patron saint is Saint Anthony Abbot, celebrated on January 17th. The event takes place in the days leading up to and following the liturgical feast, culminating on the weekend around January 17th.

Canunsei, the stars of the festival

The signature dish is canunsei, the village's typical ravioli, to be enjoyed at the marquee in the oratory's festival area. The food stand offers dinners featuring canunsei and other traditional dishes from Brescia throughout the festival. It is around this specialty that the identity of the festival is built, attracting visitors even from neighboring towns.

A program full of events

In addition to gastronomy, the festival offers a packed calendar: photographic exhibitions, dance shows, concerts, tournaments, magic shows, and dialect comedies, as well as food and wine stalls. The most intense religious moment is the solemn mass on the patronal weekend, with the traditional exchange of gifts between the parish priest and the mayor, followed by the procession with the patron saint's statue and a concert by the town band.

Faith and community

Organized by the Municipality and the parish with the collaboration of local associations, the Festival of Saint Anthony is the main winter event in Castelcovati. It combines popular devotion for Saint Anthony Abbot — protector of animals and the farming world — with the conviviality of the table, in a celebration that ideally closes the festivities with the last canunsei dinner and final prize draws.