Diocese of Pisa celebrating the patron saint Ranieri. The saint’s urn, usually kept in a side chapel, was brought to the foot of the presbytery of the cathedral, greeted every day by many faithful. Here it will remain until Monday 17 June, the day of the liturgical memory of Saint Ranieri.
On Monday, Eucharistic celebrations will be held in the cathedral at 8am, 9.30am, 11am and 5pm. The main one, at 11am, will be presided over by Msgr. Giovanni Santucci, bishop emeritus of Massa Carrara-Pontremoli, in memory of his first fifty years of priesthood. Concelebrating with him will be the archbishop of Pisa Giovanni Paolo Benotto, the bishop of Livorno Simone Giusti, the bishop emeritus of Arezzo-Cortona and San Sepolcro Riccardo Fontana, the bishop emeritus of Pescia Roberto Filippini and the priests, religious and permanent deacons who are celebrating, in 2024, the 25th, 50th, 60th and 70th years of ordination.
In the afternoon, after the last mass of the day, the pontifical vespers presided over by the archbishop of Pisa.
In the evening (7pm) on the waters of the Arno river, the traditional palio di San Ranieri, a rowing competition between four boats that hark back to the ancient “Galere Stefaniane”, frigates of the Order of the Knights of Santo Stefano. Boats combined with the four historic districts of the city, as defined in the 1930s: San Francesco (yellow), San Martino (red), Santa Maria (light blue) and Sant’Antonio (green). The race takes place on a 1,500 meter course, against the current.
On the eve of the patronal feast, Sunday 16 June, to celebrate the patron saint of the city, the “Luminara”: the buildings overlooking the Arno rivers of Pisa will be illuminated by one hundred thousand candles, placed on special decorative wooden structures, called “linens” , giving life to a unique atmosphere, which will reach its peak with the fireworks display which will take place from 11.30 pm on barges positioned along the Arno river.
This year the celebrations for the patron saint are joined by the celebrations for the 850th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the cathedral’s bell tower, which attracts millions of tourists every year. On Friday – in the Opera del Duomo building – the exhibition “The mirror tower. The many lives of the bell tower of Pisa cathedral”, curated by Stefano Renzoni. Through over 100 works including drawings, engravings, paintings and sculptures ranging from the 13th century to the contemporary, the exhibition aims to illustrate how the perception of the most famous bell tower in the world has changed over the centuries.
