Saint Anthony Abbot Festival

A rural festival in the Peloritani Mountains

The Saint Anthony Abbot Festival is one of the most cherished events in the religious calendar of Novara di Sicilia, a charming village in the Peloritani Mountains in the province of Messina, Sicily. Celebrated in mid-January around the Church of Saint Anthony, the festival honors the hermit saint revered as the protector of animals and patron of the farming world. Its roots run deep, keeping alive evocative devotional rites tied to the rural culture that has defined this corner of the Messina hinterland for generations.

Traditional Rites

The festivities begin with the settena, seven days of spiritual preparation during which ancient hymns, composed by local devotion and accompanied by a bellows organ, are sung every morning. The eve is marked by the blessing of the fire lit at the foot of the bell tower: over the centuries, the flames have blackened the ancient stone staircase, a silent witness to an uninterrupted practice.

• U viaggiu: the devotional journey where the faithful bring firewood to feed the fire, once used to invoke healing from Herpes Zoster, popularly known as "Saint Anthony's fire."
• U du uri: the evening vigil named after its traditional time slot, a spiritual moment culminating in the recitation of the Holy Rosary and the sung Litany of Loreto.
• Blessing of the animals: goats, dogs, horses, and pigs are brought to the churchyard, especially by children, to receive the saint's protection.
• Parade of horses: the ancient procession of horses adorned with colorful ribbons as they ride through the village.

Procession and Blessing

The liturgical heart of the festival is the procession of the statue of Saint Anthony through the village streets, preceded by the blessing with the saint's relic. After the Holy Masses, blessed bread, domestic animals, and even agricultural machinery are blessed and distributed, a sign of a devotion that continues to link the sacred to the community's daily life. The Novara di Sicilia festival is part of the Italian Network for the Safeguard and Promotion of the Festivals of Saint Anthony Abbot, a recognition of its value as intangible cultural heritage.

The village of Novara di Sicilia

Listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy, the Municipality of Novara di Sicilia offers visitors a medieval historic center of alleys, staircases, and sandstone churches, set amidst the mountains. The Saint Anthony Abbot Festival is a unique opportunity to discover the authenticity of this inland Sicilian community and its most genuine traditions.