Lu Sand Andunje is the traditional reenactment of Saint Anthony the Abbot in the Turin dialect: a parade that takes place on January 17, the saint’s feast day, winding through the historic center with songs, masks, and a sacred reenactment of the saint’s temptations.
The procession begins at 5:00 PM from the square on Via Croce di Mare. The group, consisting of handcrafted masks (Saint Anthony in a dark habit and white beard, the red devil with horns, female figures in traditional costume or dressed as angels), parades through the town’s streets, stopping in squares and courtyards. At each stop, burlesque skits passed down orally are performed, and traditional Abruzzese alms-seeking songs are sung (Lu Sand Andunje is, in fact, also the name of an ancient folk song widespread throughout the Sangro and Ortonese regions).
It is a peasant tradition that endures without a stage, without lights, without tourist logistics: all it takes to keep it alive is a group of people willing to dress up, sing, and walk through the town in the January cold. Free admission; dress warmly.