Festa di Santa Lucia delle Quaglie 2020

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Festa di Santa Lucia delle Quaglie 2020, known also as the Patronage of Saint Lucia, will take place on Sunday, May 3, in Syracuse. The octave of the feast will take place next Sunday, on May 10.

Saint Lucia, the patron saint of Syracuse, is celebrated twice every year. The Feast of Saint Lucia of the Quails recalls the miracle occured in 1646, while the feast held on December 13 and 20 commemorates the martyrdom of the Saint.

SHORT HISTORY

The May celebration recalls the miracle occured in 1646, when the city passed through a serious famine, and ships loaded with grain arrived in the harbour at the right moment, saving the city from calamity. The legend tells that a quail flew inside the Cathedral to announce the miracle.

PROGRAM OF THE EVENT

On the first Sunday of May, around midday, a short procession will take place from the Cathedral of Syracuse to the Church of Santa Lucia alla Badia, located only a few meters away, in the same square, Piazza Duomo.

On this occasion, the statue of Santa Lucia is transported from one church to another and, during this short pilgrimage, doves are released from the balconies that surround the square.

On the next Sunday, the statue of the Saint returns from the Church of Santa Lucia alla Badia to the Cathedral, in a similar procession that starts around 7 pm. This time, the procession wanders along the streets of the Ortygia island, before returning to the Cathedral.