THINGS TO DO:

Feast of Saint Rosalia – Palermo 14 – 15 July

The Feast of Santa Rosalia (U Festìnu), wich is  one of the most important in Sicily, takes place from July 10 until July 15, and it is a real tourist buster in Palermo. The topic of the feast is on July 14th. The feast is dedicated to Saint Rosalia, also called La Santuzza (Little Saint) or Rusulia (in Sicilian dialect), the patron saint of Palermo. According to local faith, in 1624 Santa Rosalia saved the city’s residents from a dreadful plague after her relics were found in Monte Pellegrino. U Fistinu (the feast), starts on the 10th of July, and during the night between 14-15 July reaches its peak. Thousands of people follow the parade led by a giant iron made chariot, from the Cathedral to the Foro Italico. Folklore and religion meet and explode into traditional fireworks, making you believe the sun is shining. On July 15th at 7:00 pm, a second procession takes place which carries the relic of the Saint through the streets of the city. The 2023 edition will be the 399 edition of the event.

Calendar of events:

The procession, led by the Archbishop and the Mayor of Palermo, starts on the evening of July 14 in front of the Cathedral of Palermo, and ends near the sea, culminating with an impressive and amazing firework display. The central point of the procession is a vessel-shaped chariot, built different every year, carrying the Statue of Saint Rosalia. The chariot is ten meters high and almost as long, decorated with roses and angels, and pulled by oxen. The feast continues the next day, July 15, with the solemn procession of the relics of the Saint, contained inside a silver urn. During the feast, you can buy food on the street that is part of the popular tradition of the city: pasta with sardines, babbaluci (snails boiled with garlic), sfincione (a thick Sicilian pizza), boiled octopus and watermelon.