The Sestiere San Michele di Pagana does not belong to the parish of Santi Gervasio e Protasio in Rapallo; in fact, its entire territory is included in the parish of San Michele Arcangelo, which is part of the Vicariate of Santa Margherita Ligure.
The Sestiere and the Festivities in honour of the Madonna of Montallegro: the Sestiere San Michele ‘fired’ mortal coins in honour of the Madonna of Montallegro from the early decades of the 17th century. In the early years of this century the ‘fires’ as we understand them now were born and San Michele also began to take part in the palio of the Sestieri.
The place where the ‘firing’ was carried out was the Langan Pier, the most beautiful location for this type of spectacle; on the pier on the evenings of the first three days of July, ten shots were taken and a short ‘firing’ three times and then a long ‘firing’, while on the evening of the 3rd the ‘finale’ was also carried out. The ‘shooting’ of the Panegyric ended with ‘ramadan’ at the port and sometimes in the garden of the Partisans.
For a long period (from 1946 to 1957), the Sestiere San Michele was among the best and sometimes the first in an absolute sense, thanks also to the generous contributions of a few enthusiasts such as ‘o sciò Langin’ and Messrs Carlevaro, Figari and Pareto.
In 1958, the Sestiere San Michele stopped ‘shooting’ due to a lack of space, as work began on the construction of Rapallo harbour. In 1989, the July Festival Committee was once again formed, so the Sestiere resumed its activities. The flag of the Sestiere is of very ancient origin, with a design depicting St. Michael, St. Ursula and the Madonna of Montallegro; remade twice afterwards, it has always been hoisted at St. Michael, on the flagpole of the Foce, even when the Sestiere was not shooting.
