Saint Blaise Festival and Chain Sausage Fair in Cancellara

Saint Blaise, Patron Saint and Protector of the Throat

Every February 3rd in Cancellara, Saint Blaise is celebrated. He is the patron saint of the town and venerated throughout Italy as the protector of the throat. Tradition tells of the saint, an Armenian physician who lived in the 3rd century, who saved a child from a fishbone stuck in his throat: hence the custom, on the day of the feast, of blessing the throat with candles. In Cancellara, the commemoration is one of the most heartfelt events of the year, marked by religious services and the procession of the saint through the village streets.

The Chain Sausage Fair

An absolute star of local gastronomy is linked to the patronal feast: the chain sausage, a traditional product of Cancellara whose roots go back to the 18th century and which is now recognized as a Traditional Agri-food Product (PAT). Prepared using a particular braiding technique passed down from mother to daughter, the sausage becomes the heart of the Chain Sausage Fair, which accompanies the Saint Blaise celebrations with tastings in the village, from the evening of February 3rd until the following Saturday.

Atmosphere and Context

Cancellara is a small municipality in the Alto Bradano area, in the Province of Potenza, where the early February festival brings warmth and conviviality during the colder months. Amidst the patron saint's procession, the stalls, and the aroma of roasted sausage, the community comes together in an event that intertwines faith, peasant identity, and pride for a product that is a symbol of the town itself. An ideal event for those who want to discover the inner Basilicata in its most authentic and intimate version.