June 13th: Saint Anthony Procession

The holy day has come around again.

Paduans have a holiday today in honor of Saint Anthony, patron saint of the city. Two weeks of festivities including special prayers, masses and a night procession from Camposampiero (PD) to Padua, are culminating in this procession of a Saint Anthony statue and reliquary.

My pictures started from Via del Santo...

the mounting crowd behind the patron's statue

round the bend with scouts toting a banner

joined by praying nuns, young and old

historic costumes of medieval warriers

pensive, if not angry, elite club members (this could be Lion's Club or Rotary Club?)

women showing off old crafts

and the best part...

Saint Anthony's JAW BONE!!!

This procession celebrates the living memory of Saint Anthony's death on June 13 , 1231

May he rest in peace

(while his body parts get paraded around town)

Shrouded Santa Sofia

Another sighting of a monument gone covered.

This is now Santa Sofia, a church built primarily in the early 12th century in the Romanic style.

Of course, you can't see that just now.

How many months or years will this one take to restore? Give me your guesses.

Laundry over the Soccer Field

Staying with the soccer field theme, I captured Venice's Sant'Alvise church field, equipped with netting about its old walls and flanked by dancing laundry which keeps score of the games that little Venetians play.

In Italy, all the sports fields are private: belonging to sports clubs or the Catholic church (which is something between private and public and ultimately privileged). Also, all of Venice's greenery is hidden, as well as its few fields. This walled one is a well-kept secret, set in Venice's hidden northern tip and away from any major tourist attractions. It's near the boat stop S. Alvise, as a clue.