From 8th to 10th May Taranto celebrates its patron saint, San Cataldo, an Irish monk of the 7th century who was elected bishop of the city during a journey to the Holy Land. Religious moments alternate with joyful celebrations such as the palio, a rowing competition among the boats of the quarters of the city. In the evening of the 8th the silver statue of the Saint leaves the Cathedral in a procession and passes through the alleys of the old city centre on a cart decorated with flowers. From the Sant’Eligio pier, the statue makes an offing on a large ship provided by the Italian Navy. In the surrounding Mar Grande many vessels both large and small wait for the statue and accompany it out to sea. In the meantime, typical dishes and sweets are eaten ashore. Fireworks and the horns of the boats greet the statue of the Saint which moves slowly from the Mar Grande, through the navigable canal, into the Mar Piccolo, renews its blessing for the city and goes back to the city centre. There, a new procession will take the statue inside the Cathedral.
