Pescara prepares to celebrate the Feast of Sant’Andrea
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Every year, the largest city in Abruzzo, Pescara, holds celebrations in honour of Sant’Andrea Apostolo (St Andrew the Apostle), and this year is no exception.
The Feast of Sant’Andrea traditionally takes place on the last Sunday of July, and so will take place this year on July 26. Crowds of people gather on the banks of the town’s river in honour of St Andrew, who is the patron saint of Pescara’s navy. This celebration dates back to 1867, when the church of St Andrew the Apostle was built up near the maritime villas of the once-called Castellammare Adriatico.
The festivities begin at 9am on the Sunday morning, when a mass is held in St Andrew’s church dedicated to the saint. A statue of St Andrew is then led in a procession around the streets to the town’s port, where it is hoisted onto a decorated flagship, ready to lead a procession of boats out to sea. When it reaches Montesilvano, a laurel wreath commemorating the people lost at sea is placed on the water, before the fleet returns to the port. Tens of people flock to the festival every year, including both locals and those on their Abruzzo holidays, with an hour-long spectacular fireworks display helping to end the celebrations with a bang.
Image: Exephyo, available under Creative Commons