In Avigliano initiates i celebrations in honor of San Vito.
In fact, the patronal feast is celebrated every year on 14 and 15 Juneprecisely in honor of Patron Saint of the city.
The celebrations unfold between two programs: one religious and the other civil.
Religious events they include Holy Masses, the Holy Rosary, Confessions (penitence), blessings, the procession in honor of the Saint through the streets of the city.
Saint Vitus is a martyr saint lived in 3rd – 4th century AD and, despite having been one of the most venerated saints in the Middle Ages, there is no certain information about him.
This is what we read on sanvitoavigliano.it, where it is stated that San Vito was born in 285 and died on 15 June 304.
VitoSicilian by birth, at just seven years of age he performed an enormity of wonders, so much so that the governor Valeriano had him arrested, attempting with threats to make him renounce the Christian faith.
His father, a convinced pagan, also joined him.
However, for little Vito, the examples of courage and loyalty of the master Modesto and his nurse Crescenza, who were his prison companions, were much more valuable.
Their faithfulness was rewarded by God, who sent an Angel to free them.
All three found refuge in Lucania, where they continued with word and wonders to testify to their love for Christ.
The fame of these prodigies reached the court of Emperor Diocletian, whose son suffered from epilepsy.
Vito was therefore called to Rome, where he cured the young man, but as a reward he was subjected to torture to make him renounce his faith. Once again, the Angel sent by the Lord freed him and brought him back to Lucania, where he, together with Modesto and Crescenza, offered the supreme testimony of fidelity to Christ, until his martyrdom.
It is also said that Vitus, together with his tutors Modesto and Crescenza, was executed, without any mercy, by Diocletian, on the proposal of his pagan father. This happened in ancient Lucania, precisely where the Tanagro river flows into the Sele river.
San Vito is today invoked to ward off the evil that takes its name from him“the dance of San Vito”, in other words chorea, or even against the bites of poisonous or hydrophobic beasts.
The Cultural and Recreational Association also points out that the origin of the cult of San Vito in Avigliano it has no certain date, but it is certainly a very ancient cult, which dates back with certainty to the centuries preceding 1500.
In fact, the current chapel dates back to 1500, which stands on the ruins of the ancient primitive church. The chapel was renovated and then further modified in the façade and with the construction of the current bell tower, which took place in the 1950s.
Like every year, the On June 15th the animals will be gathered for their blessing in front of the church dedicated to the saintbeing San Vito, protector of animals and in particular of dogs (in fact the saint always appears accompanied by one or more dogs flanking his figure).
The civil program, however, unfolds between the performance of musical bands coming from different cities, starting in the morning, through the streets of the centre; orchestral musical performances; cabaret performances; folk groups; the known “Historical procession of San Vito” (June 14) and at the end of the celebrations (always on the 15th) fireworks over the city and live concert.
This is the poster of the religious and civil program.
