THE SUMMER HOLIDAY OF SAINT ANDREW THE APOSTLE IN AMALFI: IN MEMORY OF A MIRACLE
The month of June marks the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, patron saint of Amalfi- a not-to-be-missed event for all lovers of folklore and traditions!
by Roberta Cascone
Fans of folklore and cultural events cannot miss one of the most heartfelt feasts of the people of Amalfi: it is the feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle, patron saint of the city, which is celebrated twice a year, on June 27 and November 30. Although the canonical feast is in November, on June 26 and 27, Amalfitans celebrate the patron saint with a summer ceremony, born out of a desire to remember a real miracle he performed to save the town.
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Saint Andrew's statue in the cathedral
The origins of the Summer celebration
Andrew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, elder brother of St. Peter. He preached in Romania, Ukraine and Russia and died crucified on an X-shaped cross (hence the name "cross of St. Andrew," precisely). His body was taken to Constantinople and in 1206, during the crusade, was transported by Cardinal Pietro Capuano to Amalfi itself, where it is still preserved today. Although on the calendar the feast of St. Andrew is set for November 30, the date of his crucifixion, in Amalfi it is celebrated several times throughout the year. The feast of the relic is held on January 28, the translation of the relics takes place on May 7 and 8 (popularly called "Sant'Andrea 'a quaglia" because it is linked to the event of catching birds by nets applied among the olive trees), but it is the date of June 27 that is particularly dear to the people of Amalfi. It is in fact the anniversary of a real miracle that occurred in 1544: on that occasion the city was threatened by an attack by the Turkish privateer Ariadeno Barbarossa, but was saved by a providential storm that destroyed the pirate ships. Since then, Amalfitans have been thanking their patron saint for protecting them and dedicating two days of exciting and engaging celebrations to him.
The stages of the celebration
The summer festival of St. Andrew the Apostle comes alive as early as June 26. On this date an event very dear to the people of Amalfi is expected, namely the miracle of the Manna. This is an oily liquid that is collected from the apostle's tomb and distributed to the faithful. According to tradition, it was first discovered in 1304, when a parish priest used it to restore a man's sight. The bust of the saint, a silver sculpture from the Neapolitan Baroque, is also displayed on that day, and in the evening, the manna is celebrated in the cathedral crypt.
On the 27th, however, a procession starts through the streets of the town, accompanied by music and followed by a wonderful fireworks display at sea. The archbishop, the priests and the people carry the effigy of the saint to the shores of the sea so that it can bless the waves and favor the navigation and fishing of Amalfi's boats.
The most evocative moment of the procession, however, is the final one: the bearers, all dressed in red, carry the statue of the saint back to the cathedral in a traditional run down the entire staircase of the cathedral, cheered on by the crowd of faithful. Arriving at the top, finally, the audience melts in a big heartfelt applause to greet the patron saint.
The procession on the cathedral staircase
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The long-awaited celebrations of Amalfi's patron saint will be held again in 2023: on June 27, don't miss the procession and especially the magnificent fireworks display! For the occasion, the fast ferry company Travelmar has arranged extra runs on the following routes:
- Salerno to Amalfi until 8:30 pm
- Return to Salerno at the end of the fireworks at 11:58 p.m.
Click here to purchase tickets!
2023 event
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