adrano
Celebrations REIS: Sicilian Intangible Heritage Register
The Flight of the Angel

The Flight of the Angel

Property included in the Register of Intangible Heritage of Sicily (REIS)

The Volata dell'Angelo takes place on the third day of the celebrations in honor of the Patron Saint of Adrano, Nicolò Politi, and remembers the call of God to the young man. Almost at the end of the procession of the simulacrum of the Saint, around 20 pm, a child dressed as an Angel is placed on the statue at a height of twelve meters, supported by a rope tied on one side to Palazzo Bianchi and on the other to the Mother Church. When he came very close to the fercolo among the crowd of participants, the young man recited the following sacred ode: ì Silence people. Hello, Nicola: the centuries will call you blessed! Immortal hymn of glory in heaven will be sung to you! To You who were intrepid with your soul and faith and heart you kept the universe unharmed to the King. In the hour of perihelion we will have recourse to you, in the day of victory we will be united with You. On this solemn day of glory and love let us cry together: long live the shining San Nicolò Politi. At the end the child throws a bouquet of flowers towards the fercolo and climbs upwards. A long sequence of fireworks follows this moment of great emotion and devotion. (Text source: REI data sheet for the Sicily region)

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Technical sheet prepared by: Region of Sicily - Department of cultural heritage and Sicilian identity - CRicd: Regional center for inventory, cataloging and documentation and Sicilian regional film library

No. Prog.
165
Bene
The Flight of the Angel
Book
REI - Book of celebrations
Approval date
21-02-2013
Categories
patronal feast
Town \ Province
Catania
Destination
 
Common
adrano
Local denomination
 
Chronological News
Traditionally it is assumed that the event of the Volata dell'Angelo was already celebrated at the end of the 700th century, when S. Nicolò Politi was proclaimed "Patron of Adernò". A first written source, a manuscript dated 1 August 1887, preserved in the Municipal Archives, reports the day of the event and a brief description within the schedule of the festivities of S. Nicolò, signed by the Rector of the festival. To further confirm the historicity of the event, the text by F. Nicotra of 1907-08, in which among the illustrations of Adrano and his artistic beauties we find a description of the singular event.
recurrence
Annual
Data
3 August
opportunity
Feast of San Nicolò Politi
Function
Commemorative, devotional
Actors
Local children
Participants
Clergy, brotherhood, local community, tourists
Description
The Volata dell'Angelo takes place on the third day of the celebrations in honor of the Patron Saint of Adrano, Nicolò Politi, and remembers the call of God to the young man. Almost at the end of the procession of the simulacrum of the Saint, around 20 pm, a child dressed as an Angel is placed on the statue at a height of twelve meters, supported by a rope tied on one side to Palazzo Bianchi and on the other to the Mother Church. When he came very close to the fercolo among the crowd of participants, the young man recited the following sacred ode: ì Silence people. Hello, Nicola: the centuries will call you blessed! Immortal hymn of glory in heaven will be sung to you! To You who were intrepid with your soul and faith and heart you kept the universe unharmed to the King. In the hour of perihelion we will have recourse to you, in the day of victory we will be united with You. On this solemn day of glory and love let us cry together: long live the shining San Nicolò Politi. At the end the child throws a bouquet of flowers towards the fercolo and climbs upwards. A long sequence of fireworks follows this moment of great emotion and devotion.
Catalog Sheet
 
Bibliography
Nicotra, Francis. 1907. Illustrated dictionary of Sicilian municipalities. Palermo: Publishing company of the Illustrated Dictionary of Sicilian Municipalities.
Sitography
 
Filmography
 
Discography
 
Footnotes
Since 1679 the feast of the saint was celebrated on August 17, the anniversary of his death. In 1748, thanks to the concession of Pope Benedict XIV, it was transferred to August 3. The Adranite people asked for this transfer, so that the feast could be celebrated more solemnly, in the interval between two other main feasts: that of St. Peter in bonds, on 1 August, and that of Maria SS. ad Nives or Madonna della Catena, on 5th August.
Author Card
Esther Oddo
Go to Google Maps
54 Via Roma, Adrano, CT, Sicily
Location
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