by InTrieste
Italian farmers celebrate the feast day of St Anthony Abbot or Antonio Abate, the patron saint and protector of animals, on Wednesday 17 January 2023.
In addition to animals and farmers, St Anthony Abbot is the patron saint of basket weavers and grave diggers, and is believed to protect against skin diseases, especially shingles.
The saint, who died in Egypt in 356, has always enjoyed a widespread following among Italy’s agricultural communities.
According to an ancient legend from the Veneto region in northern Italy, on the night of 17 January animals acquired the ability to speak.
On this night each year, it is said that people were kept away from stables because to hear the animals talk was considered a bad omen.
While in Trieste the event is not marked, it is celerbated in Rome with the blessing of the animals in St Peter’s Square.
