San Biagio Festival

A patronal feast in the heart of the Tyrrhenian Sicily

The San Biagio Festival is the most cherished event in the San Biagio district, a small village in the municipality of Terme Vigliatore, in the province of Messina, overlooking the Gulf of Patti along the Tyrrhenian coast of Sicily. The district, located between Terme and Vigliatore along the ancient Strada Statale 113, owes its name to the bishop and martyr saint, venerated as the protector of the throat and patron of the community.

Devotion and popular tradition

The festival reaches its peak on February 3rd, the liturgical feast day of Saint Blaise (San Biagio), with religious celebrations organized by the local parish. Surrounding this moment of faith is a rich program of initiatives designed to engage all ages, the result of the hard work of the San Biagio Festival Committee, which transforms the neighborhood into a place of sharing and connection.

The Ancient Games Fair

The heart and soul of the festival is the Ancient Games Fair, which brings traditional Sicilian pastimes back to life along Via Padre Filippo Genovese. Visitors can try their hand at sack races, tug-of-war, target shooting, and pranoghi, the wooden spinning tops that must be kept spinning for as long as possible. The most anticipated moment, however, remains the "Quattareddi", a traditional game that involves breaking a terracotta "quattara" to win the prizes hidden inside.

Entertainment, funfair, and folklore

The program is rounded out by a funfair for children, briscola and foosball tournaments that fill the evenings, stalls with local products, and performances by the "Etna" Sicilian folk group, which brings the island's songs, dances, and costumes to the square. It is an opportunity for families, young people, and the elderly to come together, rediscover their roots, and experience the authentic atmosphere of a village festival.

An identity heritage to be cherished

Between faith, play, and collective memory, the San Biagio Festival represents one of the most characteristic events in the winter calendar of Terme Vigliatore. An event that, year after year, renews the bond between the community and its traditions, restoring dignity to a cultural heritage that deserves to be known and appreciated beyond the borders of the province of Messina.