San Basilio Magno, patron saint of San Marco d'Alunzio

San Basilio Magno is one of the three patron saints of San Marco d'Alunzio together with San Marco and San Nicola. The festival in their honor takes place every year from July 31 to August 2. On July 31, the Patron Saints Marco and Nicola are celebrated, in the afternoon "L'Entrata r'addauru" takes place, where the boys of the village decorate laurel branches with colored ribbons, money and scarves and go in procession towards the church of Badia piccola accompanied by the musical band to the pitch in front of the ancient monastery where they climb the "branches". The religious holiday continues as tradition wants, with the distribution of the "Collure Benedette" which are donuts of 10 cm in diameter prepared with azima paste. On the same evening, the simulacrum of the patron saint St. Basil the Great is transported by church of San Basilio to Mother Church . Tradition has it that the short journey that separates the two churches is covered in about two hours, as it is popular belief that the saint performs miracles during this coming and going.