The feast in honour of St. Cyrus includes the procession of his statue from the Church of the Paolotti (the Minims of St. Francis of Paola) to the main church of the town. During the week, devotees attend the Novenario and the Holy Masses. At the end of the procession, as the statue enters the main church, the celebration of the solemn Mass begins. On the next days, the statue is taken back to the Church of the Paolotti with a solemn procession.
Event History:
In the Middle Ages, the body of St. Cyrus was taken to Rome and, later, to Naples. This latter city links the figure of St. Cyrus to Grottaglie. A Jesuit called Francesco De Geronimo, nowadays the co-patron of Grottaglie and a devotee of the Saint, took him to his native town.
Patron Saint History:
Cyrus was born in Alexandria between the III and the IV centuries and was a doctor. The Saint used to lead in the straight and narrow path those who made mistakes and fell into temptation. It was this characteristic of his that annoyed the town prefect, who ordered his arrest. The Saint retired to the desert, where reached a state of perfect serenity and piety. Because of the prefect’s decision, he was forced to go back to Alexandria. Once in Egypt, he was martyred and tortured with a long series of horrible torments
Sources: By the editorial staff Updated on: 14/01/2011
Project created in collaboration with InnovaPuglia.
Regione Puglia
Regione Puglia