Religious festival · Castellana Sicula
Festa di San Francesco di Paola in Castellana Sicula
Festa di San Francesco di Paola in Castellana Sicula: in mid-July masses, a torchlight procession, concerts and the patron's procession with confraternities.
2026 edition
OverChurch and square of San Francesco di Paola, village streets, Castellana Sicula
Programme
Main days 11 and 12 July, celebrations from the 9th.
This edition is over. We update the page as soon as the next dates are out.
Source: madoniedintorni.com, checked on 19 October 2026
San Francesco di Paola is the patron saint of Castellana Sicula, and his feast is held in mid-July. For a few days there are masses, a torchlight procession and concerts in the square that bears his name; on Sunday the saint goes out in procession with the confraternities and the authorities, and the feast ends with fireworks. In 2026 the celebrations began on 9 July, with the main days on the 11th and 12th.
It is organised by the parish, the confraternity of San Francesco and the town council. Madoniedintorni described it as the feast that stands out among the many July religious feasts in the village.
How it unfolds
The 2017 programme, published by Madonie Press, gives an idea of the structure:
- Thursday: mass and lighting of the votive lamp before the statue, entrusted to the mayor;
- Friday: an evening show in the square (in 2017 a dance school’s recital);
- Saturday: the torchlight procession and a concert in the square (in 2017 “Taranta Nera”, with Officina Zoè and the Malian musician Baba Sissoko);
- Sunday: masses and the solemn procession of the patron with the confraternities and the religious, civil and military authorities; then the draw of the San Francesco raffle and the final show.
In 2017 the raffle prize was a canvas of the Hermit of Paola painted and donated by the Castellana artist Gianluca Bellina. The evening ended with dancing fountains and fireworks.
Dates of recent years
| Year | Dates | Main days |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9 to 12 July | 11 and 12 July |
| 2017 | 6 to 9 July | procession on Sunday 9 July |
Getting there and where to stay
Castellana Sicula is about 96 km from Palermo (1 hour 20, on the A19) and about 68 km from Cefalù (1 hour), 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 Castellana Sicula and before you set off the Castellana Sicula weather. Shortly afterwards, in late July, the village hosts the Festival del Gelato Madonita, and in August Da Coffa a Visazza. The other patron saints’ feasts are in the calendar of religious festivals in the Madonie.
Past editions
- 2017 6 – 9 July 2017 Source
Frequently asked questions
- When is San Francesco di Paola celebrated in Castellana Sicula?
- The patron saint's feast is held in mid-July, with the main days over a weekend. In 2026 the celebrations began on 9 July and the main days were 11 and 12 July; in 2017 the feast ran from 6 to 9 July, with the procession on the Sunday.
- What happens during the feast?
- The programme alternates religious services and evenings in the square. In 2017 it began with mass and the lighting of the votive lamp before the statue by the mayor; on Saturday there were a torchlight procession and a concert; on Sunday masses and the procession of the saint with the confraternities and the authorities, then the raffle and the final show with fireworks.
- Where does the feast take place?
- The centre of the feast is the church of San Francesco di Paola and the square in front of it, the village's main square, where the concerts and evening shows are held. The Sunday procession goes through the village streets with the confraternities and the authorities.
- How do you get to Castellana Sicula?
- From Palermo it is about 96 km (1 hour 20) on the A19, from Cefalù about 68 km (1 hour), according to our calculation on OpenStreetMap without traffic. The sources do not mention dedicated parking.
