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Villavallelonga (AQ) – Festa di Sant’Antonio

15 January @ 00:00 - 17 January @ 00:00 CET

Colorful Abruzzo festival scene featuring a giant puppet and local musicians in a village setting.

One of Abruzzo’s most powerful winter celebrations, the Feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot in Villavallelonga blends food, fire, music, and ancient Carnival symbolism.

At the heart of the celebration is La Panarda – a monumental ritual banquet that lasts through the night and brings the entire community together over 40 courses.

La Panarda – The All-Night Banquet

Each year, a group of families devoted to Saint Anthony volunteers to organise La Panarda, preparing a vast sequence of dishes, at least 40,  rooted in local tradition and ritual meaning. The meal unfolds slowly, course after course, lasting until dawn.  Read more about this in our article: The Modern Minor Miracles of Sant’Antonio and La Panarda in Villavallelonga.

Throughout the night, groups known as compagnie move through the village accompanied by accordions and barrel organs, singing traditional songs dedicated to Saint Anthony. In exchange, they receive food, wine, and small offerings of money, keeping alive a centuries-old exchange of hospitality and devotion.

Fire, Music & the Night of Saint Anthony

As the feast continues, large bonfires burn in every square, becoming gathering points for singing, dancing, and storytelling. Fire here is both protection and purification, warming the long winter night and marking the turning of the seasonal cycle.

Animals, Procession & Carnival Masks

The following day, celebrations continue with:

The procession of Saint Anthony

The blessing of animals, reflecting the saint’s role as their protector

This date also signals the beginning of the Carnival season. Rival groups of young people roam the village dressed as:

The “Ugly” (i brutti) – dressed in black, with bells hanging from their bodies

The “Beautiful” (i belli) – dressed in white, wearing hats adorned with ribbons and colourful flowers

Together, they represent the eternal contrast between chaos and order, winter and renewal.

Why experience it?

This is not a festival staged for visitors, but a living Abruzzese ritual—where food becomes offering, fire becomes symbol, and Carnival is born from devotion.

See also:

Modern Miracles: San Antonio & La Panarda in Villavallelonga
👉 https://lifeinabruzzo.com/modern-miracles-san-antonio-la-panarda-villavallelonga/

Il ballo della Signora in Villavallelonga is one of those moments when Abruzzo really comes alive. Rooted in tradition and community, it’s an unmissable chance to experience local culture as it’s truly lived.

Details

Venue

We will do our best to keep this calendar up to date, however in the case of last-minute cancellations due to adverse weather conditions, Covid outbreaks and so forth this may not always be possible.  In these cases, you should contact the event organiser for a refund as we are not responsible for the events on the calendar, only compiling them into an easy list.  As soon as we have news from an organiser when any event will be rescheduled we will update the calendar accordingly.

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