The protector of Francavilla Angitola is Saint Phocas the Martyr, celebrated on 5 March and on the second Sunday of August: he was a soldier who, having laid down his arms, became a gardener, lived in Sinope between the 1st and 2nd centuries and was sentenced to death for his Christian faith.
The feast is also celebrated in summer, when people originally from Francavilla Angitola have a better chance of returning to their home town: the sound of the band marching through the streets serves as a wake-up call on Sunday morning, the streets fill with stalls and in the evening live music accompanies the festivities. The town also has the Museo dell'emigrazione G.B. Scalabrini.
