San Who…? La Festa di San Gennaro Il Patrono di Napoli (Patron Saint of Naples)

San Who…?La Festa di San Gennaro

Il Patrono di Napoli(Patron Saint of Naples)

What’s a Patron Saint?

• A patron saint is an individual who is contributed with protecting or saving a town from some type of natural disaster, such as plague or famine

• Patron saints usually have some type of shrine dedicated to them. In San Gennaro’s case, we have two: Basilica of Naples/Church in Pozzuoli

Why do people have patron saints?

• What’s the purpose? • 1. • 2.• 3.

• Why is Gennaro considered Naples’ saint?• Protects town from …….

Il Vesuvio!• Protects people of Naples from eruption• But how does he do that??

Scuderia Vesuvio

History of San Gennaro: Punti Importanti

• Gennaro was Bishop of Benevento in the third century A.D.

• Was beheaded in 305 by the Roman Emperor Diocletian – His remains and some of his blood were collected and kept by a woman

• In 1313, the miracle of his blood liquefying occurred for first time, after that his remains were brought to Naples, later moved to Pozzuoli

Basilica di San Gennaro a Napoli

Santuario di San Gennaro-Pozzuoli

Punti Aggiuntivi:

• Procession or feast takes place every year on Sept. 19 (diciannove settembre) in Spaccanapoli

Feast of San Gennaro in N.Y.-Mulberry Street

• One of the oldest Italian-American festivals celebrated in the States in various cities, #1 New York