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Festivals, Celebrations,
Events,
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Saint George
The city of Ragusa is in fact made up of two separate areas, both with its own distinctive
style and history. The older and, in most people's opinion, the more beautiful of the two is the Baroque
quarter of Ibla. The upper town was built after the destructive earthquake of 1693 while Ibla was rebuilt
where the city had stood before the disaster. This fact led to Ragusa having two patron saints. Saint John
became the patron of the upper town while St.George had been and remained the patron of Ragusa Ibla.
Historical Background:
Saint George lived in the 2nd century and his life is shrouded in mystery. He, perhaps more than any
other saint, is surrounded by myth and so today it is all but impossible to separate truth from legend.
It is thought he was born around the year 280AD in Palestine to Geronzio and Policronia who brought him up
as a Christian until he had to leave for military service in the Roman legions. He rose to the rank of
official but did not share the faith of his parents. He eventually converted back to Christianity and donated
all his belongings to the needy.
The legend tells of a terrible dragon which emerged every so often from the bottom of a lake to wreak havoc
and death on the city with its fiery breath. To appease the awful monster the citizens offered it young victims
chosen by lottery and one day this terrible fate befell the king's daughter. The king, reduced to tears, had the
unenviable fate of accompanying his daughter to her doom at the lakeside.
The princess appeared to have accepted her atrocious destiny when a courageous knight, George, from
Cappadoccia appeared on horseback, drew his mighty sword from its scabbard and reduced the once frightening
animal to a meek lamb. He put the no longer terrifying creature on a lead and led it through the gates of
the city, much to the wonder of the citizens who had locked themselves inside their homes for fear of the beast.
The mysterious soldier told the people that he had come to slay the dragon in the name of Christ so that
they might be converted and baptised in His name.
George's martyrdom is also clouded in mystery and legend. The Emperor had him persecuted and
imprisoned and then condemned him to death for having denied the gods of the empire. He ordered that he
be tortured but to no avail because George's body was able to withstand even the most cruel of treatment.
Only with his decapitation were they able to put an end to the young knight's life.
George's tomb is to be found in Lidda (Lod) near Tel Aviv and has been venerated as a martyr for
Christianity since the 4th century.
The Festival:
Strangely, the festival of San Giorgio is not celebrated in Ragusa on the 23rd April as would be logical but
rather on the last Sunday in May.
The most important feature of the festival is the procession featuring the statue of the saint around the
winding streets of Ibla. The Saint is pictured on horseback in ancient military regalia while slaying the
mighty dragon with a short sword. The statue is traditionally borne by those who are devoted to him and it
is followed by a large crowd of the faithful.
The church is always beautifully decorated for the occasion with flags, flowers and lights and the statue
of the martyr is placed at the centre of the church so that the faithful can pray around it. The entire city
from the noblest piazza to the humblest alley is bedecked with lights and all sorts of colourful regalia.
The imposing doors of the church, closed and covered throughout the rest of the year are thrown open to the
joy of the faithful who flock to the church.
The celebrations begin a week before the festival proper but it is only in the last three days(Friday to Sunday)
that the figure of the Saint is brought outside to the sound of fireworks and music.
The statue is of papier machée and so very light and this peculiarity allows the bearers to dance in
time to the music, to turn the statue around, to lift the statue up and even to launch it up into the air.
Another valuable display is carried before that of the statue. It is the "santa cassa" or "holy case", a
box wrought in finest Silver containing some relics of the saint.
The statue is brought out into the piazza where the crowd gathers for the procession which leads off with
the clergy in front, followed by the "santa cassa" and then the statue of the saint followed by the musical
band and finally the crowds of faithful who follow the procession around the streets of Ibla.
The festival also features a number of sideshows including concerts by famous artists, marching bands and of
course the spectacular fireworks.
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- Religious Festivals in Ragusa:
- Other Occassions:
- Festivals and Celebrations around the province
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