San Marcellu 2024 in Aleria: a true Corsican festivity

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Horserider at the San Marcellu celebration

This weekend, people in Corsica are invited to join the celebration of San Marcellu (Saint-Marcel) in Aleria. This may not be the most popular event in Corsica, but it indubitably is a true “Corsican” one. Not only because it occurs in January, the less attractive month for tourists. But especially because it holds the spirit of a simple, yet rich in terms of traditions, rural event.

An unmissable procession

Most of the activities will take place this Sunday, the 28th of January. The main event is the procession going from the Cateraghju (a fraction of Aleria situated on the main T10 road) to the chapel of San Marcellu, on the upper part near the “Forte de Matra” and its famous Roman site and museum. The singularity of this procession (and its obvious beauty) comes from the horsemen leading the march. Most of them come from Aleria and its surroundings, whereas some others would usually come from Sardegna, where this kind of precession also exists. On this occasion, the riders will have their horses blessed by the priest.

Celebrating our animals at San Marcellu

For those who enjoy horses, the San Marcellu celebration is also the occasion to witness trials of speed and skill. The “Stella” event (Stella means “star”) will test the skill of the riders, who will try to catch a suspended object while riding at full speed. The San Marcellu is also a great occasion to discover some Corsican races of dogs, horses, and donkeys, as the owners of those can bring them to get their identity certified. Besides, the festival offers demonstrations of blacksmithing and horseshoeing.

The San Marcellu 2024 in Aleria is a nice event to experience. It also offers activities for the kids, a conference and some concerts. We will attend it so be sure we will come back next week with some photos and videos of the procession and the rest of the events! Be sure to check also our Instagram account.

Main picture belongs to the organisators of the event : https://www.facebook.com/events/901168448238148
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Guillaume Bereni

Guillaume Bereni is the owner and editor of Sustainable Corsica, an independent editorial website dedicated to slower, more conscious and more meaningful ways of discovering the island. He is also the founder of Mare è Monti Conseil, an independent consulting activity based in Corsica. Through this work, he supports local projects, associations, public bodies, social economy structures and small organisations in clarifying their ideas, structuring their projects, building business plans, preparing financial projections and creating practical tools for decision-making. His background combines territorial project support, editorial work, cultural tourism, local development and a long-standing interest in the relationship between Corsica, its communities and the people who visit it. He previously served as Editor-in-Chief of Corsica Oggi, an Italian-language news platform dedicated to Corsican affairs. A husband and father of three, he is naturally curious, attached to languages, places and stories, and always interested in the small details that help make a territory more understandable. You can learn more about his professional work at: https://www.maremonticonseil.fr

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