The traditional event of Piatto di Sant’Antonio is held every year to keep the traditional Feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot alive. During the festivities a traditional dish is offered known as Piatto di Sant’Antonio, which has become the symbol of gratitude to the Saint for having ended the plague epidemic.
The traditional event of Piatto di Sant’Antonio is held every year on the Sunday after 17 January, the day that celebrates the Feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot, patron saint of farmers, breeders and pets.
The cult has its roots in the farming world and is very close to the hearts of everyone in Umbria, and is celebrated in various towns with ceremonies and festivities devoted to the Saint.
The traditional Piatto held in Santa Maria degli Angeli is linked to an episode that occurred between 1850 and 1860, when the town was a major post house on the Rome-Florence road.
Following the outbreak of a serious epidemic, in which many horses fell ill, the worried inhabitants turned to Saint Anthony the Abbot, patron saint of livestock, and begged the friars of the Porziuncola for a Triduum (three days of prayer) in honour of the Saint, whose Feast Day they were about to celebrate.
Once they had obtained the miracle with the end of the disease and having warded off the danger of death, the citizens gave their thanks by celebrating through the streets and distributing a meal to the poor, which then became known as Piatto di Sant’Antonio (St. Anthony’s Dish).
In 1978, the Association of Priors was founded, which has been known as Associazione Priori Piatto S. Antonio Abate since 1998, the purpose of which is to keep the tradition alive and hand it down to future generations.
As the festival gets closer, events include the opening of the traditional taverns and the preparation of collateral exhibitions and conferences.
The festivities of the Piatto reach their climax on Sunday with the gathering of the Communities of Priors and the parade, the Mass with the Investiture of the novice Priors, the solemn procession through the town streets with the benediction of the animals and bread offered by the Serving Priors.
The Piatto di Sant’Antonio is a local dish that is much more than a simple plate of food, offered during the feast: it represents a story, a symbol and an emotion that unites the entire community. A dish created centuries ago as a meal offered to the poor in thanks to Saint Anthony the Abbot for having ended the plague epidemic described above.
The Piatto, registered and recognised by the Ministry of Economic Development in 2017, consists of rigatoni pasta with meat sauce, 2 roasted pork sausages, 2 stewed meat balls, 2 slices of roast beef or veal, a roll of bread, an apple and an orange, water and wine.
A simple traditional meal you can eat in any one of the restaurants taking part in the initiative.
