Rocc10

ROCCAMORICE

(Pg. 10)

La Rocca Pg. 13 (San Donato Church)
La Rocca Pg. 14 (people / places)
La Rocca Pg. 15 (people / places)
La Rocca Pg. 16 (people / places)
La Rocca Pg. 17 (places to stay / eat)
La Rocca Pg. 18 (Asphalt Mines)
La Rocca Pg. 19 (Asphalt Mines)
La Rocca Pg. 20 (Churches)
La Rocca Pg. 21 (Churches)
La Rocca Pg. 22 (people / places)
La Rocca Pg. 23 (people / places)
La Rocca Pg. 24 (People / places)

La Rocca Pg. 1 (history/photos)
La Rocca Pg. 2 (Santo Spirito)
La Rocca Pg. 3 (San Bartolomeo)
La Rocca Pg. 4 (photos)
La Rocca Pg. 5 (photos)
La Rocca Pg. 6 (photos)
La Rocca Pg. 7 (festa)
La Rocca Pg. 8 (the old ways)
La Rocca Pg. 9 (the old ways)
La Rocca Pg. 10 ("Lu Sand'Andune")
La Rocca Pg. 11 ("La Rocca's Sand'Andune)
La Rocca Pg. 12 (Don Donato Bianco)

"LU SAND 'ANDUNE"

One of the more popular saints in Abruzzo is Sant' Antonio Abate or Saint Anthony Abbott. Also known in dialect as Lu Sand'Andune or Sandandonie, his feast day is held every January 17. Lu Sand' Andune festa is an ancient tradition with many different legends that vary from town to town. The most common celebration is the "orazione" which is performed the night or week before and which is a performance by people of the community who go from house to house in costume, acting, singing and reciting the story of the temptation of Sant'Antonio by the demons. (On LaRocca Page 11 are photos and a description of the orazione as done in Roccamorice.)

Sant' Antonio Abate was born in Koma, Egypt in 251 A.D. to a wealthy family. He gave up his worldly goods to the poor and became a hermit in the desert. Tradition says that he continually struggled with demons that tried to corrupt him with temptations of the flesh to get him to give up his life of suffering and prayer. That is why he is often portrayed with a pig at his feet--the pig symbolizes lust and therefore the devil. However in Abruzzo, which is a rural area where people lived mainly by farming and raising livestock, the presence of the pig had another meaning. It was taken to mean that Sant'Antonio was the patron saint of agriculture, because the pig was one of the main staples of life for the "contadini" (peasant farmers). Therefore Sant' Antonio became the "contadino" saint par excellence, protector of all animals.

He is also often portrayed with a fire in his hand or near him, symbolizing the fires of Hell that he defeated by resisting temptation. But in Abruzzo, the depiction of the fire meant something else. First is the tradition that says Sant' Antonio was the protector against "il fuoco sacro" (the sacred fire), a very painful affliction known today as Herpes Zoster or shingles. Long ago it was called "fuoco di Sant' Antonio (S. Antonio's fire) -- probably called thus because of the burning pain of the condition which was irreverently compared to the burning temptations of the flesh with which Sant' Antonio was tortured by the demons. Second, because there was already a long pre-Christian tradition in Abruzzo of burning fires at this time of year (the winter solstice) to insure a bountiful harvest in the following year, the fire symbol was taken to mean that Sant'Antonio was the patron saint of fire. Even today at Fara Filorum Petri, giant "farchie" (candles made from bundled cane) are burned on Sant' Antonio's feast day. Click here to see an Italian site with many photos of the festa of the farchie at Fara Filiorum Petri.

In most of the rural communities of Abruzzo , the farm animals are blessed on Sant' Antonio's feast day. And throughout the Abruzzese country side, in many rural villages, a bonfire is burned in the churchyard on his day, and the ashes taken to the barns to protect the animals from illness and sorcery. On January 17 the barns are cleaned and put in order. The animals do not work that day, and they are treated very well because there is a legend that during the night they acquire the ability to speak and might tell their avenger, Sant' Antonio, of any mistreatment by their owners.

In San Valentino on the Sunday after January 17, the entire town participates in a "sbandimende" which is a public auction of food and beverages offered by the townspeople and the money raised is used to fund the next year's festivities.

Since 1960 the tradition of a "public pig" has developed in many Abruzzese towns. On January 17th before the bonfire, the priest blesses a little pig which has been chosen and marked with a notch in his ear or a red cross painted on his back, to identify it as the pig of Sant'Antonio. He is allowed to run free in the town for the next year, fed by everyone and sheltered every night by the family which took on that responsibility, until the next Sant' Antonio festa, when the pig is slaughtered and the meat divided amongst the poor or else raffled off to raise money for next year's festa.

La Rocca Pg. 9

La Rocca Pg. 11