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Events in Sicily Italy
January
San Silvestro Celebration,
Sicily, Italy. January 2008 (Every year)
Join the festivities celebrating Silvestro,
patron saint of the Sicilian village of Troina, a
monk renowned for his generosity and miracles. Legend
has it that Silvestro spent the last years of his
life meditating and praying in a cave not far from
the monastery where he was abbot.
County Enna, Town Troina.
Venue Chiesa San Giorgio
Epiphany - January 2008 (Every year)
During Epiphany every year in the town of
Piana degli Albanesi, Sicily, visitors can witness
the ancient and carefully-preserved religious customs
of former Albanian immigrants. The celebrations provide
a rare chance to learn about one of the most neglected
cultural diasporas to be found in southern Italy.
Cost Free, County Palermo, Town Piana degli Albanesi
Bordonaro Epiphany - January 2008 (Every
year)
Grab some cake and eat it in Bordonaro during Epiphany.
In the main public square locals erect a Pagghiaru,
a very special Epiphany tree covered with fruit and
bread, with a two-metre-high cross on top, all up
for grabs after Mass! The fantastic food bonanza is
followed by a theatrical performance of Cavaddazzu
e l'omu sabbagghiu, which translates from the Sicilian
dialect as "man and ferocious nature". The
events take place in the evening, but check with the
local tourist office for the exact times.
Event Details: First date January 2006 tbc (Every
year).
Cost Free. County Messina, Town Bordonaro.
Messina Tourist Office, Via Calabria 301, Messina.
San Antonio Abbate Anniversary
January 2008 (Every year)
This annual procession paying homage to San
Antonio, held in the streets of the small village
of Giarratana, promises to be a bizarre experience.
San Antonio Abbate, who is believed to have lived
in 250 AD, gave up his wealth by distributing his
money amongst the poor and leading a life of total
seclusion. Legend has it that the devil, disguised
in the shape of an animal, tempted Antonio several
times, with no success. Cost Free. County Ragusa,
Town Giarratana. Contact Catania Tourist Office.
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February
February 2008 - Sciacca (Agrigento)
- Carnival
Carnival celebrated in Sciacca (Agrigento), together
with that of Acireale, is certainly the most beautiful
carnival in Sicily and one of the most beautiful in
Italy. Dances start during Holy Thursday of every
year. This task is assigned to Peppe ‘Nnappa, typical
mask of Sciacca, who walking through the streets invites
people to enjoy and forget about everyday problems
with his hymn. During the parade there is a distribution
of sausage, wine and candies expressing in this way
the spirit of hospitality which is typical of these
people.
February 2008 - Acireale (Catania)
- Carnival
The carnival celebrated in Acireale (Catania) boasts
an old tradition that dates back to the 16th century.
It is certainly more grand than the carnival of Sciacca
and has gained the reputation as “the most beautiful
carnival in Sicily”. Workers in Acireale get refined
in the manufacture of allegorical floats, more and
more sophisticated and coloured, and floats decorated
with flowers, more and more gigantic, that reach the
same importance of the allegorical ones.
February - Noto (Syarcuse) - Festa di San Corrado
Saint Corrado is celebrated by the inhabitants of
Noto (Syracuse) twice a year: 19 February, day of
his death, and the last week of August. On both dates
there is a procession of the saint's mortal remains
through the town with celebrations of devouts. During
the procession of 19 February the effigy of the saint
is taken round some churches in Noto and according
to the tradition when it arrives in front of St Antonio
church it seems to become so heavy that it is impossible
to lift it up despite the devouts' efforts.
Almond
Blossom Festival, Agrigento.
Literally
thousands of almond trees are in bloom around the
Valley of the Temples at this festival heralding the
arrival of the first fruits of spring. In Phrygian
myths, the almond tree was viewed as "the father
of the world." The event is marked with exotic
music, singing, beauty pageants, parades, and traditional
puppet shows. All kinds of sweets made with almonds
are sold.
Feast
of Saint Agata, Catania.
Of pagan origin, this is a beautiful
all-night religious celebration of the martyred patron
saint of the city. A procession of candle-bearers
called candelore parades through the city, accompanied
by the mayor and his entourage in gilded horse-drawn
carriages. High church officials add clouds of incense
and all the requisite pomp and circumstance. There's
also street theater and fireworks. Sweets based on
centuries-old recipes from nunneries are sold. All-around
mayhem prevails. February 4 to 5. Contact the Catania
tourist office (tel. 095-7306255).
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April
The Dance
of the Devils, Prizzi.
Unique in Italy,
a grotesque dance of the devils (Il Ballo dei Diavoli)
takes place on Easter in this medieval town a 2-hour
drive south of Palermo deep in the Sicilian interior.
The festival represents the age-old struggle between
good and evil. Figures dressed as devils in red, their
faces covered with grotesque masks, parade through
the streets, searching for souls to devour. Death
is seen dressed in yellow and carrying a crossbow.
All ends well as "angels" appear later to
subdue the devils. Call tel. 167-016681; www.commune/prizzi.pa.it.
Good Friday in Pietraperzia
- April (Every year)
Pietraperzia's (in Enna province
) main public square, Piazza del Carmine, hosts Good
Friday celebrations, featuring a spectacular procession.
A fercolo (Saint's relics carrier) is placed in the
middle of the square along with a huge wooden pole.
Attached to the pole are 30 metre-long swaddling linen
bands, a symbol of devotion, which are used to raise
the statue of Christ. The statue is then placed on
the fercolo, moved by over 500 participants, thus
starting the procession. The pageant offers the chance
to experience a fascinating event amidst beautiful
medieval architecture.
Easter Sunday in Gangi
- April (Every year)
Easter celebrations in Gangi
(in Palermo province) involve various rituals and
processions throughout the Holy Week, though the most
interesting event happens on Easter Sunday, when an
unusual rivalry between saints takes place.
The peaceful competition consists of creating the
best decorations in the streets in the centre of town,
near the Duomo. They assume the shape of arches, bizarrely
constructed of bread, vegetables and other foodstuffs.
Easter
in Piana degli Albanesi - April (Every year)
The Easter celebrations of the
Albanian community, held all over the town of Piana
degli Albanesi (in Palermo province), feature sacred
music and Greek-Orthodox rites. Five out of the eight
Albanian communities living in Sicily are present
in the town, celebrating Easter with their jealously-preserved
customs and practices. One week before Easter, rehearsals
take place for the Lazeri, sacred songs to commemorate
the resurrection of Lazzaro. On Palm Sunday, the archbishop
enters the town on horseback, reenacting the arrival
of Christ in Jerusalem.
The Saturday preceding Easter
Sunday features full immersion baptisms, a typical
Greek-Orthodox rite, performed by priests wearing
white robes symbolising new life. The festivities
end on Easter Sunday in the cathedral of San Demetrio,
where all believers are reunited for the Mensa, a
feast organised by all the members of the community.
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May
Infiorata,
Noto.
The residents
of this little southeastern Sicilian town prepare
a magnificent carpet of flowers along Via Nicolaci,
in the historic core. Themes are taken from religion
or mythology. The festival features crafts shows,
performances of sacred music, and tours of religious
sites, followed by dances and parades of flower-bedecked
antique carriages. The beginning of the month. Check
with the tourist office at tel. 0931-573779 for exact
dates and information.
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June
Kubbaita
in Troina
June (Every year)
Kubbaita, an
ancient horse-race of Arab origins, takes place in
Troina's main square, and at the end of it you can
try torrone (a Sicilian sweet), free of charge.
The event celebrates the conquering
of Troina's castle by the Earl Ruggero. It takes its
name from the cobbaita sweet that the participants
carry with them during the race. At the end the sweets
are distributed to the crowds of spectators.
Event Details: Cost Free, County Enna, Town Troina.
More information: Enna Tourist Office, Piazza Garibaldi
1, Enna 94100, Sicily.
Taormina
Film Festival
June (Every year)
The Taormina
International Film Festival takes place in the Palazzo
dei Congressi and in Taormina's famous Greek Theatre.
It is a competitive film festival screening film previews,
independent features, documentaries, shorts and tributes
to filmmakers of the past. As is its custom, the festival
dedicates considerable attention to Italian cinema
and Sicilian filmmaking in particular. Following last
year's rousing success of the section The Sicilians,
some 30 short films and videos by directors born in,
or residents of, Sicily.
Event Details: First date June 2006 tbc (Every year).
Venue: Palazzo dei CongressiTeatro Antico, Messina,
Town Taormina.
Further Info: Taormina BNL Filmfest.
Solmusic Festival - June
(Every year)
Palermo's
Giardino Inglese (English Garden) is the venue for
the Solmusic festival, dedicated to emerging local
bands. Previous editions of the festival have shown
just how much hidden talent is there to be revealed.
The bands participating at Solmusic compete and a
panel of music experts declare a winning group. This
is an opportunity to be introduced to finer Sicilian
talent in beautiful surroundings.
Cost Free, County Palermo,
Town Palermo
Venue Giardino Inglese, Viale della Liberta, Palermo,
Palermo, Sicily.
The English Garden is Palermo's most renowned public
garden, boasting a lovely landscape and beautiful
fountains. Directions The park is situated in the
heart of town and can be reached by buses 101, 107
and 603.
Further Info: Solmusic Festival.
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July
WOMAD
Festival
July (Every year)
WOMAD returns
to Sicily in July with three nights of concerts in
the stunning Teatro Antico, or Greek Theatre, at Taormina.
WOMAD brings together many forms of music, arts and
dance from countries and cultures all over the world.
Having established its presence in the UK, the organisation's
unique nomadic identify evolved gradually during the
Eighties, with initial events in Denmark and Canada
in 1988. It now embraces events in Australia, North
America, South Africa, Japan and in several European
countries each year.
The festivals are generally
weekend-long, family-oriented, active and diverse
musical events, featuring simultaneous performances
on two or three stages, including participatory workshops
and special events for children, as well as musical
and dance sessions hosted by many of the visiting
artists.
Event Details: First date 1-3 July 2006 (Every year).
Opening Hours 8pm. Cost €10-€20. Venue Teatro
Antico, Via del Teatro Greco, Taormina, Messina.
Festino di Santa Rosalia
July (Every year)
The Feast of
Santa Rosalia, Palermo. Holding a special place in
the hearts of many residents, this festival is the
most famous and popular in Sicily. During the week
of the festival the city becomes an open-air theater.
The highlight is a 15m (50-ft.) high float known as
the carro, which is paraded through the streets along
with a statue of Santa Rosalia on a huge cart drawn
by horses. Torchlight processions are conducted to
the saint's shrine on Monte Pellegrino, where the
saint is said to have appeared in a vision to a hunter.
Bands, dancers, African drums, religious choruses,
fantastic fireworks, theatrical performances, and
feasts featuring everything from delectable tiny snails
to fantastic gelato characterize the event. July 10
to 15.
Contact the tourist office in Palermo at tel. 091-583847.
Palermo Tourist Office, Email info@palermotourism.com
Verdura Festival
June - August (Every year)
Variety is what
the Verdura Festival in Palermo's Teatro delle Verdure
is all about. The event starts off with a Mozart Serenade,
followed by a four-night performance by the Paris
Opera Ballet and then suddenly in come Jethro Tull...and
it goes on like that for a full month.
Other performances include Nathalie Choquette, the
Ten Commandments musical, Verdi opera symphonies and
other chosen pieces, the Regina Carter Quintet, Pat
Metheny, Earth Wind & Fire, Berlioz' Romeo and
Juliet, Chick Corea Elektric Band, and many more.
For a complete list of what's on when and for how
much, please refer to the TicketOne website.
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August
Madonna
Of The Snow
August (Every year)
The Madonna della Neve is celebrated
in the streets of Francofonte every year with a procession
and prayers. Legend has it that local hunters found
a painting of the Madonna stuck in a bramble bush.
One of them attempted to free it with a scythe, but
only managed to lacerate it and it started to bleed.
The blood remains in the painting to this day. This
all happened on 5 August, a day when it also snowed,
a truly puzzling event that eventually gave the name
to this celebration. A church has been erected to
honour the Madonna, which is where the procession
ends.
Sea
Music Festival
August (Every year)
The Sea Music
Festival presents five days of world music concerts
in Pantelleria's main square, Piazza Cavour. The fifth
edition of the festival in 2003 focused on "sunny
music" from Africa and Brazil as well as jazz
bands from all over the world, all for free...isn't
life good to you sometimes?
San Sebastiano in Mistretta
August (Various dates)
A procession
to celebrate the martyr San Sebastiano takes place
in the streets of Mistretta in both January and August
every year, featuring live music and colourful religious
paraphernalia. San Sebastiano was an outstanding soldier
under the Roman emperors Diocleziano and Massimiano.
He was also a Christian, for which he was condemned
to death, miraculously surviving an attempted execution
by archers. Roman troops eventually caught him and
drowned him, with no miracle saving his life a second
time. Sebastiano became a martyr and was canonised
in 1622, when he became the patron Saint of Mistretta.
County Messina, Town Mistretta
Messina Tourist Office, Via Calabria 301, Messina,
Sicily
Phone +39 090 674 236
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September
Madonna
di Lampedusa Procession
September (Various dates - see below)
The only annual
public celebration in Lampedusa is the procession
dedicated to the island's patron saint and protector,
Madonna di Lampedusa, also known as Madonna of Porto
Salvo.
The event takes place every
year in September and the devout people of Lampedusa
start their preparations well in advance. On the first
Sunday of the month the Madonna's statue is carried
on fishermen's shoulders in a long procession from
the sanctuary to the town's main church, where it
is kept hidden until the 22 September, when a further
procession takes place incorporating the whole population.
At the end of the festivities, which include fireworks,
games and concerts, a last procession takes the statue
back to its sanctuary.
Festival of the Black
Madonna of Tindari
September (Every year)
Tindari is mostly known for
being the home of one of the most famous 'Black Madonnas'
of Europe, the Madonna di Tindari. Although pilgrims
attend the shrine where it is housed throughout the
year, the annual festival takes place on the eighth
of September, when masses are held every hour from
early morning to midnight, and the Madonna herself
is taken out for a procession in the evening. At midnight
the festivities end with a display of fireworks. If
you're in the area on the night before, the preliminaries
of the festival begin on the night of the seventh.
Couscous
Festival
September (Every year)
The Couscous Festival, dedicated
to North African gastronomy, is held every year on
the beautiful seafront of San Vito Lo Capo, offering
the chance to try some wonderful dishes in one of
the loveliest seaside resorts in western Sicily.
North African ingredients,
smells, spices and flavours have long become an ubiquitous
feature of Sicilian cooking. The festival celebrates
a typical dish of North African origins, cooked with
fresh fish or vegetables. Entrance is free, but the
food is not. The couscous with fish soup and chunks
of swordfish is a must. Alongside the main event there
is a full week of entertainment, including fusion
and global music concerts, tastings of Sicilian wines,
cultural events and evenings dedicated to fine cuisine.
Event Details: First date September
2006 tbc (Every year).
County Trapani. Town San Vito Lo Capo
Name Trapani Tourist Office, Province of Trapani and
Erice Via V. Sorba 15 91100 Trapani, Sicily. Phone
+39 09 232 7077
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October
Maritime
Festival, Porticello Santa Flavia.
This maritime festival
takes place every year at a little fishing port to
the east of Palermo. Sporting competitions include
boat races among the fishermen, along with a village
festival dedicated to fish, a mainstay of the port's
economy, especially the harvesting of anchovies and
sardines. At night a parade of boats illuminated with
flaming torches is staged, and an image of Maria,
"holiest of light," is hauled to the water
to be blessed. Naturally, stalls sell all the fish
dishes you can consume. The first Sunday in October.
Contact the tourist office at Palermo (tel. 091-583847).
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November
Tutti
Santi (All Saints' Day), island-wide.
This ancient
observance is celebrated all over Sicily as a national
holiday including the "Day of the Dead."
It's the Sicilian version of Halloween in which the
spirits of the dead are said to roam about. Originally
more pagan in origin, it was tamed by the Catholic
Church with the introduction of saints who are celebrated.
Children are costumed for parades around the main
squares of various towns. Pastry shops prepare a delectable
confection, the ominously named "bones of the
dead." November 1 and 2. Check with local tourist
offices.
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December
Christmas
Fair, Syracuse.
The major holiday
fair of the south is conducted in this ancient city,
with the island's most colorful Christmas market.
Many islanders drive for miles to purchase gifts for
the holidays here, including sweets, clothing, special
embroidery, decorations, ornaments, and other items.
It's conducted in the Epipoli section of Syracuse.
From the second Saturday of December to December 21.
Contact the tourist office in Syracuse.
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