Patronal feast in Reitano – Sant'Erasmo D'Antiochia di Pisidia

Reitano is a town populated by almost 800 inhabitants, at 396 meters above sea level in the Metropolitan City of Messina: patron saint è Erasmus of Antioch of Pisidia, which is celebrated in June.

On the occasion of Patronal feast in Reitano, the village stops, the offices close and the faithful go to the Church, for the solemn celebrations and the Procession. There Mother Church of Reitano and the Church of Our Lady Immaculate, within which is the Chapel of Sant'Erasmo, dedicated to the Patron Saint; here, in the most important sacred place in the country, the faithful can also admire ancient works of art.

The history of the Patronal Festival in Reitano

The Patronal Festival in Reitano is dedicated to Sant'Erasmo d'Antiochia di Pisidia, whose life is wrapped up in the legend, as it is transmitted to us by texts of the fifth century. However we know that Erasmo, born in Formia e Bishop of Antioch, suffered anti-Christian persecutions, hiding in one cave; he was captured and imprisoned, but miraculously managed to save himself, and then converted an incredible number of people to Christianity. He died in Formia 7 days after his release. The cult of Sant'Erasmo it was consolidated above all in the Middle Ages, when it spread to many towns in Sicily.

When the Patronal Festival takes place in Reitano

The day of the Patronal Feast in Reitano is the 2 June. The date of this anniversary has been fixed since the times of the Gerolimian Martyrology.

Where the Patronal Festival takes place in Reitano

The Patronal Festival in Reitano takes place in the village, at the Mother Church where solemn masses are held on the day of Sant'Erasmo.

What to do during the Patronal Festival in Reitano

Participating in the Patronal Festival in Reitano is a way to get in touch with the local community, get to know the people and traditions of the town, admire its beauty and taste its flavours.
On the occasion of Feast of Sant'Erasmo, you can organize a summer holiday staying in the village; in this way, you will have the opportunity to visit the Church of the Madonna Immacolata and the Carmel Church, the beautiful Church of Our Lady of Grace and also the different monuments that are found in the village. At the entrance to the village, you will meet the Monument to the Immaculate Conception and further on the one dedicated to Padre Pio; the town also dedicates a place of memory to its fellow citizens who fell in the war, with the monument donated in 1965 by General Pagliaro to the municipality of Reitano.

From the heart of the country, the beach it is not far away and in just 7 km you will be in the marine fraction of Villa Margi, where there is Window on the sea, the work of Tano Festa, one of the most important art installations in the area, which is part of the open-air museum River of Art, an artistic journey not to be missed in Reitano and its surroundings. Of course, if you wish, it will be a pleasure to spend a few hours on the beach.

From Reitano, which is located in a truly central position on the island, you can reach Palermo in just 104 km, while with a few more kilometers you will be in Messina, having the opportunity to visit two great cities of art, where you can admire beauties such as the Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti and the Palatine Chapel in Palermo or the Cathedral and the Church of the Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani in Messina, returning to the town in the day.

Your trip to Sicily is filled with wonders and alongside those of art and nature, those of the kitchen cannot be missing: in Reitano you start the day with the fantastic traditional sweets, from cream puffs with ricotta to cannoli, up to cassata, to then enjoy delicious and light orange or octopus salads for lunch, concluding the day with a delicious dinner of stuffed chicken or red snapper in acqua pazza.

How to get to the Patronal Festival in Reitano

To participate in the Patronal Festival in Reitano, reach the town by car or by train, from the A20 Messina-Buonfornello if you travel by car or from Santa Agata di Militello Station, if you travel on the train. The motorway exit is only 4 km from the town, while the railway station is 28 km from Reitano, which you can reach thanks to bus o shuttle that you will find at the station.