Sant’Ippazio in Tiggiano, the festival of male virility

Every year in Tiggiano, on January 19, Sant’Ippazio is celebrated. A celebration that mixes the sacred and the profane in a whirlwind.

Saint Hyppatius is a 4th-century saint, whose cult spread within the Byzantine Church, reaching southern Italy following the monks who practiced the Rule of Saint Basil.

Tiggiano, in the heel of Italy, is the only Italian town to have elected him as the patron saint of the city.

It is also nice to note that Saint Hyppatius is the only saint appointed to protect male private parts.

There is not only Saint Lucia who protects the eyes, Saint Biagio the throat, Saint Bartholomew the skin or Saint Genesio the ear. In Tiggiano, in the province of Lecce, we have Saint Ippazio who protects males against diseases or infections of the private parts, and helps and improves male virility.

Little known in Italy, Saint Hyppatius is venerated with great devotion in Eastern countries of Orthodox religion.

The saint had taken part in the first Council of Nicaea, during which, in clear disagreement with a group of Arian heretics, he was struck by one of them with a well-aimed kick in the groin area. A low blow in all respects, in short, which, in addition to causing Saint Hyppatius excruciating pain, would have given him a nice inguinal hernia.

This explains why Saint Hyppatius became the protector of virility and of those suffering from inguinal hernia.

In reality, Sant’Ippazio has been the patron saint of Tiggiano only since the 17th century, when the small town in lower Salento passed into the hands of the Serafini-Sauli family.

On the occasion of the celebration of the Greek bishop, on January 19th, from the first light of the morning until 1.00 pm, the traditional Fair of Sant’Ippazio takes place, a special occasion also to taste and learn about the unique flavor of pestanaca, the carrot with the characteristic yellow and purple color that is grown only here.

The vegetable contains all the symbolism connected to male virility. In fact, the women of the village, during the pestanache harvest, rubbed an immaculate handkerchief on the statue of the Patron Saint, and then applied it to the affected part of their husband (or someone else they took care of intimately), all under the indulgent gaze of the clergy.

After the traditional fair, around 4 pm, the picturesque procession takes place accompanied by the notes of the classic band concert. Before the saint leaves, a real auction is held to win the so-called “stannardhu”, a 7-meter pole with a cast iron ball on top. It will be up to a group of strong volunteers to try to lift it and fertility and good wishes for the new year will depend on the outcome of the feat.

The evening ends promptly with the launch of hot air balloons and the colors of the fireworks displays combined with those of the lights that decorate the night of Tiggiano.