Saint Blaise Festival in Sicilì

A patron saint celebrated twice a year

In Sicilì, a hamlet of the Municipality of Morigerati in the Province of Salerno, devotion to Saint Blaise marks the community's calendar. The bishop and martyr of Sebaste, invoked throughout Campania as the protector of the throat, is the village's patron saint and is celebrated on two distinct occasions: February 3rd, the saint's liturgical day, and mid-May, when solemn festivities are held in honor of both the saint and the Virgin Mary of the Martyrs. It is a double celebration that has few equals in the Cilento region and perfectly illustrates the deep bond between the village and its protector.

February 3rd: mass, procession, and the blessing of the throat

The winter recurrence is the most intimate. The statue of Saint Blaise leaves the church and is carried in procession through every corner of the village, followed by the faithful who brave the February cold to accompany the saint. At the end of the celebrations, the most characteristic gesture of the devotion is renewed: the priest crosses two candles against the throats of the faithful, entrusting them to the saint's protection. The tradition recalls the miracle of the boy saved from a fish bone stuck in his throat, an episode that made Blaise the protector par excellence against throat ailments throughout Southern Italy.

May: the village's grand festival

If February is the time for liturgy, May is the time for the grand celebration. The Parish of Maria SS. Annunziata in Sicilì opens the festivities with a novena at the beginning of the month, culminating on the 13th and 14th: the first dedicated to the Virgin Mary of the Martyrs, with a procession and solemn vespers, and the second to Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, with Eucharistic celebrations, prayers, and a long procession through the village streets.

The secular program develops around the religious events, transforming Sicilì for two days: brass band concerts featuring groups invited from outside the region, artistic illuminations that create arches of light over the town center, musical shows in the square, and, inevitably, the fireworks that conclude the patronal day. The pyrotechnic company responsible for the daytime display is a well-known attraction for enthusiasts who travel from neighboring towns.

Sicilì, a village in the Cilento hinterland

Sicilì lies on the slopes of Mount Mamino, in an area known for its olive oil production. The village was already an important center in the 16th century, when it became the baronial seat of the De Stefano family, who held the fief until the early 19th century. They are responsible for the construction of the Annunziata church, erected in the 19th century on the site of an ancient Italo-Greek shrine dedicated to Saint Theodore.

The Municipality of Morigerati, of which Sicilì is a hamlet, belongs to the Cilento hinterland and is best known for the WWF Oasis of the Bussento Caves, where the river re-emerges after a long underground journey. The village's origins date back to the 8th century, when a group of Byzantine monks fleeing persecution found refuge in this part of Campania: hence the persistence of Eastern-style rites and devotions, also evidenced by the cult of Saint Demetrius in the municipal seat.

What to expect

• Eucharistic celebrations and processions with the statue of the patron saint through the village streets
• The blessing of the throat, a symbolic gesture linked to the tradition of Saint Blaise
• Brass band concerts and musical shows in the square during the May days
• Artistic illuminations along the streets of the historic center
• Fireworks display at the end of the saint's day
• Genuine local hospitality, with families returning to the village for the occasion

Why it's worth the trip

Those looking for a Southern Italian patronal feast in its most authentic form, far from tourist circuits, will find in Sicilì a textbook example: a few hundred inhabitants, a community gathering around its saint, and an organizational machine run entirely by the parish and volunteers. There are no tickets to buy or stages to fight for: you arrive, follow the procession, listen to the band, and stay until the fireworks. It is the best way to understand how tradition is lived in the hinterland of the Province of Salerno.