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About
Festa di San Fortunato 2023 will take place on Saturday, May 13, 2023, in the beautiful town of Camogli. On the next day, Sunday, Sagra del Pesce, a fish festival dedicated to the same saint, will be held.
Festa di San Fortunato (Feast of Saint Fortunatus) is a religious event held every year in Camogli, on the second Saturday of May, in honor of San Fortunato (Saint Fortunatus), patron saint of fishermen and sailors.
SHORT HISTORY
At the beginning of the 18th century, Camogli lived only on fishing, and the inhabitants spent long periods, between May and September, on the open sea. Often, they encountered bad weather, and for this they invoked the protection of the Madonna del Boschetto, one of the patron saints of the town.
Therefore, was born the need for a saint dedicated to fishermen and sailors, so the parish priest of the time, father Pellegrino de Negri, asked Pope Clement XI to identify one. The pontiff pointed to an unnamed Roman legionary converted to Christianity, and killed in the arena by his own comrades.
According to legend, in 1710, the sailors from Camogli left for Civitavecchia aboard a galley to bring the remains of the martyr, but on the return journey they were surprised by a terrible storm. In that moment, they turned their prayers to the anonymous saint they had on board. The storm stopped and the sailors returned safely to Camogli. The urn with the relics of the Saint was placed in the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta.
From that moment on, the local people decided that the second Sunday of May would be dedicated to the Saint, whom they called Fortunato. They chose to celebrate it at the time of departure for the four months of fishing, in May, with a solemn procession, during which the saint was asked for good weather and abundant fish.
During the month of September, Madonna del Boschetto was celebrated for the return of the fishermen back to their families.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
On Saturday, May 13, 2023, a solemn procession led by eight volunteers will carry, along the streets of the old town, the statue of San Fortunato.
When the statue will return to the Basilica, a fireworks display will begin, at the end of which two enormous bonfires will be lit on the Camogli Beach.
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