Every year in Novoli on the 16th, 17th and 18th of January, in honor of Sant’Antonio Abate, the patron saint of the town, the ritual fire festival takes place. A truly unmissable event that attracts, for its uniqueness, thousands of visitors and pilgrims from all over Italy.
The veneration of the people of Novoli for Saint Anthony, the saint of fire, probably dates back to the Byzantine era.
Officially, Saint Anthony the Abbot became the protector of Novoli in 1664 (bishop at the time was Monsignor Luigi Pappacoda).
Saint Anthony is also called the Saint of the pig, or more precisely of animals, because popular culture has attributed to him the power to protect all farmyard and stable animals.
Over time, the shape of the monumental pyre has changed, becoming taller and more imposing year after year. However, what has remained intact from the Middle Ages to the present day is the ancestral aspect of the rite.
A devotion that follows the footsteps of the saint, in a silent and austere procession, which ends close to the majestic pyre.
Every year, on January 16, in conjunction with the lighting of the fire, several events take place. The procession through the streets of Novoli, the cultural events around the city theater, and the concerts and music until late at night.
A night illuminated by the great bonfire that radiates heat over an entire square.
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