The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-10
rAGAN FEAST IN NAPAEs.
MDSseal Tournament Held XssFsy NJ tbs
P~edS Iratta.

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""''eHi Eo"T"anemt HsAu AesrsS nv u"s
prd'Er"eta'
( NAP,ass. Doc. %. This grsRS NeapOhtan
festival known A. PedigroCsE which takea
place on September 8 10 nearly h all
Italian Seasts Of pagan origin. IL dates
0ack 10 the founding OF the city OF Parthe-
nope, 10 called after the siren who in grief
Al the escape OF Ulysses drOwne herself.
h Calcidians at CuIna raised on the hill
OF POsilipo where the body Of h siren was
cast Ashore q temple 70 the goddess u
chastity and plenty, which served the dual
purpose OF a place u worship and n land
mark FOR mariners. Tho Feast u this god
dese was celebrated at harvest time. when
the people Hooked ont of town to the sacred
spot laden with offerings Of fruit, flowers
and golden ears Of corn, while the youths
followed playing ppons Of praise on the
yre and the flute.
This feast lasted until the Roman epoch.
Another town sprang up beside P~Grthcnopo
and was called Neapolis. now town. After
the end Of the Samnite war the feast was
gradually forgotten.
Subsequently, the PrO-COnsul COcceius
Nerva built a tunnel between the town OF
Neapolis and POzSuOi, the former Parthe-
thus affordin8 communication by
between the two places, "a under the
old temple OF P~artheDops a delubrUm wan
dedicated to Mithras in which was erected
also an altar 60 Priapus. Here the festivals
ana ph~gr1Inages formerly held az Posilipo
were renewed. h songs known ~ can
zcnstts. prevalent In Naples to-day; pre-
ssrvs the characteristic chornscs and
melodies or the'r CalOidian prototypes.
WIN tine establishment OF christianity
tne Oh bemples were demolished and ON
sheir runs rose the Church OF Santo Maria
coll Aura' Sainta Maria OF the Hydra. prob
ably an allusiOn to Mithras's bull. The
vorshippers who came TO this Christian
shfine xrsw 40 p,Imerous tba, a Iarg.r
Chur,h h.d a. r. - - $50
:. a. g. o "0Nr y. vas
NJ S"" IOot on tno tunnei or grOtOo con-
seructed by the and hence was
called tho Church Of the Madonna III Pc
diRrotaa. The pasan Sestivitjoa vero oon-
,ID',sJ A. ChS;..;sS ~,ss" "
IN -nn %"" S
Ano Onurcn HAS always oeen q faVor1te
goal Tor phRrrrnageS not only by the COM
mon people but in former times bv KinRu
and Ouaana ma vol Vic4orIo,a GarnrsI.
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%s"Ss ~ r ~ nv onoas snAnHs 'o INC
Maoonna; linus Don John OF Austria went
there In 1874 after the battle OF Lspanto.
At The beginning of the seventeenth CEN
,,r~ tha .rO,,ol Ias,,,,,I as.,r.nd e. oMo;.1
a-s-- $3.50 -. -
ChAEacCor' EkceSt tnso the Madonna mao
supplanted Parthenope the celebratiOns
we're identical with the original ones
initiated nv the Caloidiana NJ C,,ma In
1m5A ro;;ea-- - waa 49,
Io aNuT
AC inc present Iime Vne slory OF tne
PaHata isa thing OF the past and the feast
has entirely lost ita official character. Tho
Seast 81 the p,dIvrokta. however,. sill Nm
- N..S-I,s..
IL IN a oay whon' following tns ancient
custom, the people leave their homes and
enter heart and soUl into the festivities
about them. h streets are crowded with
merry. rollicking humanity.
The main feature Of the feast consists
in the singing Of songs composed for the
occasion. H. Ia a musical tournament.
A song presented here which catches
the popular fancy becomes the song OF the
year.
IL 10 safe 20 say chat tho popular music
Of the Neopolitans 10 more original than
that Of any other part Of Italy, but among
these. people unfortunately the simple
melody ls rarely foundt to-day. The public