Feast of San Giacomo in Capizzi

In Capizzi in the month of July the celebrations are held in honor of the patron saint San Giacomo Apostolo Maggiore. The cult of San Giacomo Apostolo Maggiore dates back to the time of the Normans, when the current Sanctuary was built, and the festival dedicated to him is one of the most particular and ancient in Sicily.

Procession of Aragonese Banner

Traditionally, July 22 takes place the procession of the Aragonese banner, a procession with figures in period costume that recalls the stay of Peter II of Aragon in Capizzi in the 14th century. On that occasion, the King instituted a free trade fair, exempt from duties and taxes, and as a sign of this great privilege, he gave the city the banner with his coat of arms. The ceremony is divided into two moments: in the morning the ecclesiastical authority delivers the Royal Banner to the civil authority and this is placed in the Castle area where the Maddalena Church once stood. In the late afternoon the same banner is handed back to the religious authority and is hoisted on the bell tower of the Sanctuary of San Giacomo, where it will fly throughout the period of the festivities.
On 24 July the procession of the Saint's relics takes place< /strong> contained in an artistic gilded wooden case, brought by a Spanish nobleman, Sancho d'Eredia, Aragonese knight to Capizzi in the 15th century. The city of Capizzi possesses the most ancient relic of San Giacomo Apostolo Maggiore in Sicily, consisting of a joint of a finger of the Saint.
At dawn on July 25th, "u viaggio" takes place, that is, a pilgrimage in which many barefoot faithful participate to ask for graces or to dissolve vows.
On 26 July the solemn procession of the fercolo of San Giacomo Apostolo Maggiore takes place, supported on the shoulders by many devotees, and resting on two long and heavy beams at the ends of which are fixed four large iron rings, "i Catineddi". On the upper part, instead, there are six small red cords, "i Lazzuni". Rings and cords are fundamental elements for the guide and balance of the fercolo and can be kept by mature and wise devotees, who boast of having them handed down from father to son. The most evocative and profane moment of the procession takes place in Piazza dei Miracoli, where the traditional miracles take place: the fercolo is used as a war ram to knock down the wall of an ancient house adjacent to the church of Sant 'Anthony. According to tradition in that place, thanks to the miraculous intervention of the Saint, the Saracens, barricaded inside their place of worship, were defeated.

Dates and Scheduling