Religious festival · Isnello
Festa del Santissimo Crocifisso in Isnello
Festa del SS. Crocifisso in Isnello: three days from late April, the frittedda on the 29th and on 1 May the Frottola, a 19th-century hymn, and the procession.
2026 edition
OverChurch of Santa Maria Maggiore and village streets, Isnello
Programme
29 April tasting of the "frittedda"; 1 May Frottola (19th-century hymn by Grisanti, music by Maestro Graffeo) and procession.
This edition is over. We update the page as soon as the next dates are out.
Source: madoniedintorni.com, checked on 19 October 2026
The feast of the Santissimo Crocifisso in Isnello lasts three days and peaks on 1 May. It begins on 29 April with the tasting of the “frittedda”; on 1 May the Frottola is sung, a 19th-century sacred hymn in Sicilian, and then the Crocifisso venerated in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore goes out in procession through the village streets. In 2026 the feast ran from 29 April to 1 May.
Mayor Marcello Catanzaro called it “a great people’s feast”. It is organised by the parish with the feast committee.
The Frottola of the Crocifisso
In Isnello every religious feast has its own frottola: there are ten in all, sacred hymns sung through the streets with choir, band and banners, as a preparation for the evening procession. The entry of the Sicilian Region’s CRicd explains that the name comes from “frotta”, a moving crowd.
The Frottola of the Santissimo Crocifisso was composed by Maestro Carlo Vito Graffeo around 1868, to lyrics by Monsignor Cristoforo Grisanti. Since 1995 the conductor Antonio Sottile has worked to recover the frottole and restore their original version, and today they are listed in the Register of Intangible Heritage of Sicily.
In 2026, for the Frottola on 1 May, there were the Fanfare of the 12th Carabinieri Regiment Sicily, the children’s choir of the Alessandro Scarlatti Conservatory of Palermo, the Anima Gentis choir, Isnello’s historic Bajardi band and the Corale Musica per l’Uomo of Cefalù.
The three feast days
| Day | What |
|---|---|
| 29 April, afternoon | tasting of the frittedda |
| 1 May | the Frottola through the streets and then the procession of the Santissimo Crocifisso through the centre |
The date stays the same every year: only the weekday changes.
Getting there and other feasts in Isnello
Isnello is about 21 km from Cefalù (35 minutes) and about 76 km from Palermo (1 hour 25), according to our calculation on OpenStreetMap without traffic. The sources do not mention dedicated parking; for the roads see the guide to driving in the Madonie.
To stay the night see where to stay in Isnello and before you set off the Isnello weather. A few days earlier, in April, there is the Festa delle Verdure; in September another frottola accompanies the feast of San Nicolò, the patron saint. Other events are among the events in Isnello.
Frequently asked questions
- When is the Crocifisso celebrated in Isnello?
- The feast lasts three days and peaks every year on 1 May with the Frottola and the procession. In 2026 it opened on the afternoon of 29 April with the frittedda tasting and closed on 1 May. 1 May falls on a different weekday each year, but the date does not change.
- What is the Frottola of the SS. Crocifisso?
- It is a sacred hymn in Sicilian sung through the streets on 1 May, before the procession, with choirs and band. The one for the Crocifisso was composed by Maestro Carlo Vito Graffeo around 1868, to lyrics by Monsignor Cristoforo Grisanti. Isnello's frottole are listed in the Register of Intangible Heritage of Sicily.
- Who sings the Frottola?
- It changes every year. In 2026 there were the Fanfare of the 12th Carabinieri Regiment Sicily, the children's choir of the Alessandro Scarlatti Conservatory of Palermo, the Anima Gentis choir, Isnello's historic Bajardi band and the Corale Musica per l'Uomo of Cefalù.
- Where is the Crocifisso of Isnello?
- The Santissimo Crocifisso is venerated in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Isnello, from which the 1 May procession sets off through the streets of the village. The feast is organised by the parish with the feast committee.
- How do you get to Isnello?
- Isnello is about 21 km from Cefalù (35 minutes) and about 76 km from Palermo (1 hour 25), according to our calculation on OpenStreetMap without traffic. The sources do not mention dedicated parking.
