Queue of all Christmas holidays, the day after which the decorations can be dismantled. But also the date of celebrations. The blessing of the animals, the bonfire and the preparation of typical dishes. Traditions that renew themselves over time, bringing with them the legacy of the past or adding new meanings. From north to south, January 17th is a tribute to Sant'Antonio Abate.
Sant'Antonio Abate: an image, many symbols
A white-bearded old man dressed in simple clothes. Bring with it a stick in the shape of a "T", on top of which a bell can be found. At his feet: a pig e a fire which can sometimes appear on the hand or on top of the stick. A representation made of those symbols that in medieval history were certainly not left to chance. As in a "dictionary made up of images" to which a specific reference corresponded. So what does the representation of Sant'Antonio Abate communicate to us? First of all it should be remembered that the Saint was a Egyptian hermit who lived around the XNUMXth century AD, a forerunner of Christian monasticism. Invoked in the West as protector of animals, thaumaturge and able to find lost things. On this last point there are several regional sayings. "Saint Anthony with a white beard, let me find what is missing". “Saint Anthony of velvet let me find what I have lost”. But let's go back to iconography.
His clothes are poor as befits a monk, sometimes the habit looks a lot like the Franciscan one. The stick, an element associated with many pilgrim figures, here has a particular meaning especially in relation to the strange “T” shape. Also called Tau from a letter of the Greek alphabet and the last one of the Hebrew one. For us perhaps it refers to the Cross. The bell is instead directly linked to the pig. The animal placed at the feet of the Saint caused a lot of writing, giving way to various interpretations. Manifestation of the evil one who tempted the hermit but also an expression of that papal privilege which gave the Antonians the right to raise pigs at the community's expense. Thus each pig wore a small bell around its neck, a symbol of belonging to the Order. Grown and fattened well, the animals were then slaughtered in view of charitable works.
Unusual links: medicine and culinary recipes
If it is true that there is a common thread that links the cult of Sant'Antonio Abate from north to south, it is equally true that regional influences play their part. Like this in some Lombard cities the day dedicated to the saint is understood as "the queue of all the feasts". And on the tail there would be some discussion! In fact, this is how the same term can obtain various meanings. Falling close to the epiphany, the day dedicated to St. Anthony would be the "rear end" of the Christmas holidays. But there is more. The proximity of January 17 to the date of 6 it would also be linked to a special tribute. In fact, in some places it is said that the three King Magi they donated a pig's tail just to coincide with the anniversary of St. Anthony. A precious gift with which the local people would have made a typical dish of the Lombard tradition, the Cassoeula.
Made with cabbage and the less noble parts of the pig. Rind, feet, ears and perhaps once even the pigtail. Thus in many dialects the Saint is called "of the pig". A strong tradition that went beyond religious limits. It happens, just like this year, that January 17th falls on a Friday. How can you eat a meat dish on a lean day? A special dispensation granted by the church allowed an exception to the rule! But here, from the kitchen, the step towards therapeutic remedies is a rapid thing. The lard obtained from the animal it was also an ointment for the treatment of wounds and above all for the "St. Anthony's fire". The name of the disease has several interpretations. Associated with the thaumaturgical abilities of the Saint who was said to be able with the touch of a hand to heal the sick. But also linked to the sensation of that burning burning that metaphorically refers to the fire.
The bonfire
Present in the iconography of the Saint, fire is an ambivalent element. It purifies but is also an expression of the flames of Satan. It defends and can destroy. Yet it was also the fruit of an important discovery. The man who learned to tame it by employing it in significant uses. Heat, cook, light. Then there is the propitiatory one. Already in pagan cults, fire became the protagonist of a ritual in greeting to winter. The cold season was burning in view of a generous spring that would warm the Earth. But there is also a mythological tradition. Recovered in the Tales of Calvino, it is exactly the case of our Saint.
When one day Anthony went down to hell to steal the fire that God had stolen from men because of their sins. By lighting one end of his staff and hiding it under his robe, the Saint was able to bring a spark back to Earth. Here then is that the meanings come together in the numerous bonfires that animate the many places in Italy on January 17th or in the days to come the date. Modest in smaller municipalities, spectacular in other cities. Like the giant pyre of novoli, in Salento, where a pile of vine bundles 25 meters high and 20 meters wide is lit. Protective, purifying, propitiatory. A bonfire that belongs to past traditions but still able to remain lit in the modernity of these times.
