Religious festival · Isnello
Festa di San Nicolò di Bari, patron saint of Isnello
Festa di San Nicolò in Isnello, 7 September: in the afternoon the Frottola, a 19th-century sacred hymn in Sicilian, then the procession at night.
2026 edition
OverChiesa Madre, Piazza Peppino Impastato and village streets, Isnello
Programme
Monday 7 September main day: Frottola at 16:30 with the Anima Gentis choir of Isnello, the Maria Elisa Di Fatta choir of Cefalù and the F. Bajardi band, mass at 18:30, procession at 20:00. Sunday 6 fireworks at the sports ground at 23:45.
This edition is over. We update the page as soon as the next dates are out.
Source: madoniepress.it, checked on 19 October 2026
San Nicolò di Bari is the patron saint of Isnello and is celebrated on 7 September. In the afternoon the Frottola is sung, a 19th-century sacred hymn in Sicilian, with choir and band through the streets; in the evening the saint’s statue leaves the Chiesa Madre on a small float, preceded by banners and followed by devotees with torches. In 2026 the celebrations ran from 5 to 7 September, with the religious services starting on 29 August.
According to Balarm, San Nicola’s patronage of Isnello dates back to around 1620. It is also the day when many people from Isnello who live elsewhere come back to the village, Madonie Press writes.
The Frottola: the hymn before the procession
In Isnello the “frottula” is a sacred hymn sung in procession, with choir, band, banners and the saint’s float. The entry of the Sicilian Region’s CRicd explains that the name comes from “frotta”, a moving crowd: the Frottola is a travelling hymn of praise, a preparation for the big evening procession.
Isnello has ten frottole, one for each feast of the year, written between the 18th and 20th centuries by Sicilian musicians and poets commissioned by the confraternities. The one for San Nicola di Bari dates from the 19th century, by an uncertain composer, with lyrics by Pietro Ortolani. Since 1995 the conductor Antonio Sottile, born in Isnello, has worked to recover them and restore their original form. Today they are listed in the Register of Intangible Heritage of Sicily.
As early as 1899 Cristoforo Grisanti, in his “Folklore di Isnello”, described the frottole amid firecrackers and pealing bells, with drummers dressed in white, banners carried by young men and the crowd following the saint.
The evening procession
At 20:00 on 7 September the statue of San Nicolò leaves the Chiesa Madre on the “varicedda”, a small float. In front walk the banners of all the saints Isnello celebrates during the year, then the band; behind, devotees with lit torches. Some follow the procession barefoot: in 2026 the parish held a meeting for them in the Chiesa Madre on 3 September.
The 2026 programme
Here are the 2026 feast days, from the programme published by Madonie Press:
| Day | What |
|---|---|
| Saturday 29 August | unfurling of the flag on the bell tower, transfer of San Nicola and mass |
| Thursday 3 September | meeting with schoolchildren; meeting for devotees who will walk the procession barefoot |
| Friday 4 September | mass with the Confraternity of San Nicola |
| Saturday 5 September | start of the feast with bells and band; at 21:45 “Light Stars”, lights to music and fireworks in Piazza Peppino Impastato, then DJ set |
| Sunday 6 September | band rounds, at 15:00 the collection, at 21:45 concert by Bluesugar (Zucchero tribute) |
| Monday 7 September | mass with the authorities at 11:00; at 16:30 the Frottola with the Anima Gentis choir of Isnello, the Maria Elisa Di Fatta choir of Cefalù and the F. Bajardi band; at 20:00 procession; at 23:45 fireworks at the sports ground |
Getting there, where to stay and other feasts
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. Another frottola can be heard on 1 May, at the feast of the SS. Crocifisso in Isnello. In spring there is the Festa delle Verdure; other events are among the events in Isnello.
Frequently asked questions
- When is San Nicolò celebrated in Isnello?
- The feast day is 7 September, every year. The religious celebrations begin in late August and the events in the square last three days, from 5 to 7 September. In 2026 7 September was a Monday: Frottola at 16:30, procession at 20:00, fireworks at 23:45.
- What is the Frottola of San Nicolò?
- It is a sacred hymn in Sicilian sung through the streets before the procession, with choir, band and banners. The one for San Nicola dates from the 19th century, by an uncertain composer, with lyrics by Pietro Ortolani. Isnello has ten frottole, one for each feast of the year, listed in the Register of Intangible Heritage of Sicily.
- What is the procession on 7 September like?
- In the evening the saint's statue leaves the Chiesa Madre on a small float, the "varicedda", preceded by the banners of all the saints celebrated in Isnello during the year and by the band, and followed by devotees with torches. Some of the faithful follow it barefoot: in 2026 there was a preparation meeting for them on 3 September.
- Since when has San Nicola been Isnello's patron?
- According to Balarm, San Nicola's patronage of Isnello can be dated to around 1620. The feast is celebrated on 7 September and the procession leaves from the Chiesa Madre.
- What is on in the square during the feast?
- In 2026, on 5 September there was "Light Stars", the switching on of the festive lights to music with fireworks and a food area, then a DJ set; on the 6th the afternoon collection and the concert by Bluesugar, a Zucchero tribute band; on the 7th fireworks at the sports ground at 23:45.
- 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.
