The curtain rises on the Feast of Sant'Antuono. One of the most important events in the Campania Region's popular/religious festival landscape kicks off today. The 2020 edition, co-financed by the Campania Region – Regional Agency "CAMPANIA TURISMO" as part of the Campania POC 2014-2020 "Urban regeneration, tourism and culture policies. Regional program of events and promotional initiatives," is organized by the Municipality of Macerata Campania, the Parish of San Martino Vescovo, and the Sant'Antuono & le Battuglie di Pastellessa Association, accredited as an NGO by UNESCO, and under the patronage of the Province of Caserta and the ICHNet Committee.
At the starting line there will be well over 1200 bottari divided into 18 floats that will parade through the city streets, namely 1. Cantica popolare caturanese, 2. Vecchie maniere, 3. I guagliuni 'e Sant'Antuono, 4. 'A passione 'e Sant'Antuono, 5. 'A sellara, 6. Suoni antichi, 7. Cantica popolare, 8. 'U carr' 'e Casavr', 9. Pastellesse Sound Group, 10. I ragazzi del 2000, 11. La piccola compagnia de “I punto esclamativo”, 12. L'epoca nov', 13. 'A cumpagnia 'e Sant'Antuono, 14. L'anema 'e Sant'Antuono, 15. 'O ritorno 'e Sant'Antuono, 16. La compagnia del 2011, 17. I wagliun ra vie 'e for, 18. 'U carr' 'e vasc' 'o vast.
Folklore and religion will merge again this year in honor of Sant'Antonio Abate, giving life to a festival that attracts thousands of people to the town every year from every corner of Italy and from other countries. Pastellessa battles, exhibitions, seminars, traditional games and gastronomy with the typical dish of past'e'llessa will be the backdrop to one of the most characteristic events in Southern Italy.
Saturday 11 January 2020 – Exhibition Opening, Opening Parade
Afternoon (Cart Route = A)
13:00 pm gathering of the Sant'Antuono floats in Via Gobetti (first section) and Via Nenni.
From 16:30 pm to 20:30 pm opening of the exhibition «Macerata Campania, city that plays» with an exhibition at Palazzo Piccirillo on the first floor in Villa Comunale.
From 16:30 pm to 22:00 pm, the Sant'Antuono floats parade from Via Gobetti following ROUTE A. At the end, the floats will stop in the Market Area in Via Carducci.
16:00 pm Parade of the Majorette Shine Stars of the Parish of San Nicola di Bari of Casal di Principe, which will start from Via Gobetti with direction and performance in Piazza De Gasperi.
Sunday 12 January 2020 – Parade in the square in front of the Abbey Church of San Martino Vescovo
Morning (Cart Route = B)
From 9:00 to 14:00 parade of the Floats of Sant'Antuono from the Market Area in Via Carducci following ROUTE B. At the end, the Floats will stop in Via Dalla Chiesa.
Afternoon (Cart Route = C)
From 16:30 pm to 20:30 pm Exhibition «Macerata Campania, city that plays» with exhibition at Palazzo Piccirillo on the first floor in Villa Comunale.
16pm start of the parade of the Floats of Sant'Antuono from Via de Matteis following ROUTE C.
17:00 pm start of the performance of the Sant'Antuono floats in front of the churchyard of the parish church of Madonna delle Grazie, Casalba.
18:00 pm start of the Sant'Antuono floats exhibition in front of the churchyard of the Abbey Church of San Martino Vescovo. At the end, the floats will stop in the Market Area in Via Carducci.
During the parade it will be possible to visit the Abbey Church of San Martino Vescovo.
Monday 13 January 2020 – Study day, “Historia Loci” Award Ceremony, PastellessaLab Laboratories
Afternoon
From 17:00 pm to 20:00 pm “Study Day” at the Council Chamber of the Municipality of Macerata Campania, under the patronage of the Department of Letters and Cultural Heritage of the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” with:
Presentation of the recording work “Suoni Antichi” by the Suoni Antichi Association of Macerata Campania;
Presentation of the project “Knowledge, arts and traditions in the classroom” by the Comprehensive Institute of Macerata Campania;
Presentation of the research activity “I Bottari di Macerata Campania. A “rhythmic community” between traditional rites and world music” by Carla Sagliocco;
Presentation of the book "Sant'Antonio Abate, the fire of music. Studies and reflections with particular attention to the cult of Macerata Campania" edited by Vincenzo Capuano with the contributions of: Giuseppe Bruno, Antonio Casertano, Emanuela Esposito, Luigi Ferraiuolo, Mariano Fresta, Lia Giancristofaro, Martina Gonzales Reyero, Matteo Ludovisi, Andrea Massaro, Giovanni Mocchi, Salvatore Enrico Pappalardo - Daniele Pennisi - Rosario Torrisi, Michele Antonio Piccirillo, Vincenza Rauccio, Silvia Vetrella, Luigi Cerrone and Vincenzo Polcari.
At the end of the “Study Day” at the Council Chamber of the Municipality of Macerata Campania, the “Historia Loci” Award was presented, established by the Sant'Antuono & le Battuglie di Pastellessa Association in 2012 in order to recognize all those people and organizations who have actively contributed to the preservation, transmission and valorization of the Feast of Sant'Antuono: of the human and Christian meaning, the cultural expressions inherent to it and the music of the Floats of Sant'Antuono, intangible cultural heritage of Macerata Campania.
From 15:30 pm to 17:30 pm activities with #PastellessaLab Workshops: Artistic Workshop “The artistic dimensions of the Feast of Sant'Antuono”.
Tuesday 14 January 2020 – Triduum of St. Anthony the Abbot, PastellessaLab Laboratories
Afternoon
TRIDUUM OF SAINT ANTHONY ABBOT – Holy Mass in the Abbey Church of San Martino Vescovo in Macerata Campania.
From 15:30 pm to 17:30 pm activities with #PastellessaLab Laboratories: Musical Laboratory “The signs and music of the Feast of Sant'Antuono”.
Wednesday 15 January 2020 – Triduum of Sant'Antonio Abate, PastellessaLab Workshops, Traditional Games
Afternoon
TRIDUUM OF SAINT ANTHONY ABBOT – Holy Mass in the Abbey Church of San Martino Vescovo in Macerata Campania.
From 15pm to 30pm activities with #PastellessaLab Workshops: Culinary Workshop “La past' e 'llessa and the typical dishes of the Feast of Sant'Antuono”.
19:00 pm Piazza San Martino start of the Traditional Games: Barrel Race, Wheelbarrow Race, Barrel Ride, Sack Race, Brick Race, Tug of War. During the evening “Traditions without barriers”: games with the participation of children.
Thursday 16 January 2020 – Triduum of Sant'Antonio Abate, Blessing of fire and animals, Soap pole, Spontaneous performance of the Battuglie di Pastellessa, Presentation of the book “The Feast of Sant'Antuono and the Battuglie di Pastellessa – Macerata Campania”
Morning
9:00 am The Cart for the collection of goods in kind, as a contribution from citizens to the festival, for the traditional Raffle of January 17th, begins to circulate through the streets of the town.
Afternoon
From 16:00 pm to 18:00 pm presentation of the book “La Festa di Sant'Antuono e le Battuglie di Pastellessa – Macerata Campania” by Roberto Galasso at the Council Chamber of the Municipality of Macerata Campania, with the patronage of the Department of Letters and Cultural Heritage of the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”. Editorial project curated by the Central Institute for Demoethnoanthropology – Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism.
TRIDUUM OF SAINT ANTHONY ABBOT – Holy Mass in the Abbey Church of San Martino Vescovo in Macerata Campania.
Immediately afterwards, in the churchyard, the blessing of the fire and the animals will take place with the lighting of the Cippo di Sant'Antuono.
19:30 pm Piazza San Martino performance by the Folklore Group with traditional costumes by the Comprehensive Institute of Macerata Campania.
20pm Piazza San Martino performance of the Traditional Game: Soap Pole.
Following at the Market Area of Macerata Campania in Via Carducci you can visit the Carts of Sant'Antuono with the spontaneous performance of the Battuglie di Pastellessa.
Friday 17 January 2020 – Feast of Sant'Antonio Abate, Riffa
Morning (Cart Route = D)
HOLY MASS in the Abbey Church of San Martino Vescovo in Macerata Campania.
PROCESSION WITH THE VENERATED STATUE OF SAINT ANTHONY ABBOT through the streets of Macerata Campania.
The parade of floats will then begin from the Market Area in Via Carducci following ROUTE D.
12:00 pm Traditional fireworks display in Piazza De Gasperi: 'a signora 'e fuoco, 'o puorco, 'o ciuccio, 'a scala.
13 pm parade of the floats of Sant'Antuono from Piazza De Gasperi towards Via Elena.
At the end, the floats will stop in Via Gobetti (first section) and Via Nenni.
Afternoon (Cart Route = E)
15pm Largo Croce in Via Elena Traditional raffle of goods offered in kind.
From 16:30 pm to 18:30 pm Exhibition «Macerata Campania, city that plays» with exhibition at Palazzo Piccirillo on the first floor in Villa Comunale.
16pm Start of the parade of the Floats of Sant'Antuono from Via Gobetti following ROUTE E.
18:00 pm start of the exhibition of the Floats of Sant'Antuono in Piazza De Gasperi.
23:30 pm Fireworks show at the end of the performance of the last Battuglia di Pastellessa. Award ceremony for the floats participating in the Festival.
From January 23 to January 26, 2020, the Parish of San Marcello Martire of Caturano in Macerata Campania renews the feast of Sant'Antonio Abate.
Refreshment point in Piazza San Martino with tasting of Past'e'llessa
In Piazza San Martino in Macerata Campania it will be possible to taste the typical local dish “past'e'llessa” (pasta with boiled chestnuts) and many other local specialties on the following days: Sunday 12 January; Wednesday 15 January; Thursday 16 January.
PARADE ROUTES
CARRI ROUTE A (Saturday 11 January 2020 – afternoon)
DEPARTURE Via Gobetti – Corso Umberto I – Via Matteotti – Piazza De Gasperi – Via Garibaldi – Via Martiri di Cefalonia – Via Albana – Piazza Crocifisso – STOP Market Area (Via Carducci).
CARRI ROUTE B (Sunday 12 January 2020 – morning)
DEPARTURE Market Area (Via Carducci) – Via Martiri di Cefalonia – Via Garibaldi – Piazza De Gasperi – Via Matteotti – Via Madonna delle Grazie – Piazza Giovanni Paolo I – Via Elena – STOP at the Church.
CART ROUTE C (Sunday 12 January 2020 – afternoon)
DEPARTURE Via de Matteis – Via Montello (Portico of Caserta) – Corso Vittoria (Portico of Caserta) – Corso Umberto I – Via Matteotti – Piazza De Gasperi – Via Garibaldi – Via Martiri di Cefalonia – STOP Market Area (Via Carducci).
CARRI ROUTE D (Friday 17 January 2020 – morning)
DEPARTURE Market Area (Via Carducci) – Via Martiri di Cefalonia – Via Garibaldi – Piazza De Gasperi – Via Matteotti – Via Elena – Via Dalla Chiesa – STOP Via Gobetti (first section) and Via Nenni.
CARRI E ROUTE (Friday 17 January 2020 – afternoon)
DEPARTURE Via Gobetti – Via Mazzini – Via Martiri di Cefalonia – Via Garibaldi – Piazza De Gasperi – Via Matteotti – Via Elena – Via Dalla Chiesa – RETURN to your districts.
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