The old port fills with people and the waters in front are bustling with festively decorated boats. The program has been the same for centuries: in the morning, mass is celebrated at the Mariners’ Sanctuary, the five-century-old Basilica of San Francesco da Paola, where, in the cloister, there is an exhibition of ship models, marine paintings, vintage photos, and ex-votos, which tell the saga of Genoese seamanship.
The square of the sanctuary also offers a magnificent view of the Levante city. In the afternoon, the event moves to the Calata degli Zingari, from where the naval procession starts, led by the Port Authority boat with the statue of the saint, followed by a long parade of fishing boats, moorers, sailing boats, and private motorboats.
Outside the breakwater, a wreath of flowers is thrown into the water in memory of those who died at sea, at the exact spot where, in 1970, the British merchant ship London Valor sank. The return is accompanied by the sound of sirens and ship bells, which kick off the colorful festival along the Old Port, animated by music, band concerts, games, and folk shows.
