Saint Blaise Festival

Saint Blaise, patron saint of Anguillara Sabazia

The Saint Blaise Festival is the most cherished tradition in Anguillara Sabazia, an elegant village in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital overlooking the shores of Lake Bracciano, in the Lazio region. Every year on February 3rd, the community gathers around its patron saint, who was proclaimed protector of the town on April 26, 1834. Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr of Sebaste, is universally venerated as the protector of the throat, and for nearly two centuries, the people of Anguillara have entrusted the protection of their village and families to him.

The procession in the historic center

The heart of the festival is the solemn procession that, in the late afternoon, moves from the 16th-century Church of Saint Blaise on Via San Biagio. The statue of the saint is carried on shoulders through the streets and alleys of the medieval historic center, among the houses overlooking the lake, accompanied by the folk group and the Anguillara Sabazia town band. The procession winds through the town until it reaches the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta, where the route concludes.

The blessing of the throat

Upon arrival at the Collegiate Church, a solemn Mass is celebrated, followed by the traditional rite of anointing and blessing of the throat. According to an ancient custom, the priest blesses the throats of the faithful by holding two crossed candles, in memory of the miracle by which, according to tradition, Saint Blaise saved a child who was choking on a fish bone. This is the gesture that draws numerous devotees to the church every February 3rd, not only from Anguillara but from the entire Sabatino district.

Tradition and community

The patronal feast is also a moment of strong collective identity: local confraternities participate in the procession in their traditional attire, and in some editions, the celebration has marked the entry and investiture of new young members. Devotion to Saint Blaise is intertwined with the village's other religious observances: during the procession of the Madonna delle Grazie, by ancient custom, the patron saint's statue "bows" in homage, testifying to the saint's central role in the community's spiritual life.

Anguillara Sabazia and Lake Bracciano

Perched on a promontory jutting into the lake's waters, Anguillara Sabazia offers visitors a picturesque setting even in the winter season, with its monumental gate, cobblestone alleys, and the Collegiate Church dominating the town. The Saint Blaise Festival is the perfect opportunity to discover this corner of Lazio far from the summer tourist circuits, amidst popular faith, traditions, and the silent charm of Lake Bracciano in February.