Saint Antony's healing rituals
Mitello, L.
Professioni Infermieristiche 57(2): 70-84
2004
ISSN/ISBN: 0033-0205 PMID: 15268846 Document Number: 569914
Sant Antonio Abate rouses a particular charm for Italians in general but we focus the attention on Abruzzo people there are many stories and legends about his life and his miracles. This work is a result of a study conducted in the popular culture of Abruzzo Region about the rituals of Sant Antonio. Whom principal function was to protect animals. In the middle of the cult we found his capacities to recover people and animals. The association between the Saint and the fire is connected of his thaumaturgy capacities. The fire is often associated to doctors and to cure sickness, and with him we have therapeutics effects. The hagiographical criticism says that the imagine of Saint has to be referred to a historical fact of IX century in France. Here there was a laic hospital community to recover sick people of cancer egotism that presented hurters blistered skin, fever, eruptions and hallucinations. The pig grass was used to cure egotism and due to this reason sickness was names the evil of Saint Antony or Saint Antonio fire. Due to the multitude of sick people occurring, a hospital run by Augustinians canonists order has been built.