Solemnity of Saint John the Baptist – Castanea delle Furie

The 2025 edition of the patronal feast of Saint John the Baptist in Castanea delle Furie took place on June 24, 2025, confirming the vitality of a tradition strongly felt in the village of the Messina hills. During the nine days prior, the community gathered every afternoon at 2:00 PM in the mother church for the rosary in dialect, a testament to the village's attachment to its religious and linguistic identity.

On the day of the solemnity, the highlight was the procession of the statue of the Baptist, recently restored, carried on the shoulders of the faithful along the village lanes. As per tradition, the route also touched the homes of the elderly and the infirm who were unable to participate in the procession, so that they could receive the saint's blessing. A day of faith and popular culture that renewed the most authentic roots of the Castanoti community.