# Festa di Sant'Anna, patron saint of Castelbuono

> Festa di Sant'Anna in Castelbuono: from 17 to 27 July a novena, the Corteo delle Chiavi, the Cursa road race and the procession with the saint's skull relic.

- Page: https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/festa-di-santanna-castelbuono/
- Updated: 2026-10-19
- Other languages: [Italiano](https://www.lemadonie.it/eventi/festa-di-santanna-castelbuono.md) · [Español](https://www.lemadonie.it/es/eventos/fiesta-de-santanna-patrona-de-castelbuono.md) · [Français](https://www.lemadonie.it/fr/evenements/fete-de-sant-anna-castelbuono.md) · [Deutsch](https://www.lemadonie.it/de/veranstaltungen/festa-di-sant-anna-patronatsfest-castelbuono.md)

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| 2026 edition | 17 – 27 July 2026 |
| Where | Palatine Chapel of the Ventimiglia Castle, Piazza Castello, Piazza Margherita and the streets of the old town, [Castelbuono](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castelbuono/) |
| Category | Religious festival |
| Recurrence | Every year, 17 to 27 July, main days 25, 26 and 27 July |
| Organiser | Comune di Castelbuono e Comitato Festeggiamenti Sant'Anna |
| Source | https://www.castelbuonolive.com/santanna-2026-castelbuono-si-prepara-alla-festa-della-patrona-ecco-il-programma-completo-dei-festeggiamenti/ (checked on 2026-10-19) |

## Programme

Novena from 17 July. Saturday 25 Corteo delle Chiavi at 18:00 and opening of the reliquary chapel at 19:00; Sunday 26 the Cursa di Sant'Anna (100th Giro podistico) and at 22:30 a Matia Bazar concert in Piazza Castello; Monday 27 pontifical mass by the bishop of Cefalù at 11:00, transfer of the relic to the castle courtyard at 18:00, procession at 21:00.

Sant'Anna is the patron saint of [Castelbuono](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castelbuono/), and her feast runs from 17 to 27 July. At its heart is the relic of the saint's skull, kept in the Palatine Chapel of the Ventimiglia Castle and displayed only on these days. The three main days are 25 July (Corteo delle Chiavi), the 26th (the "Cursa", the Giro podistico internazionale) and the 27th, with the bishop's pontifical mass and the procession of the relic at 21:00.

For the community these are the busiest days of the year. The feast is organised by the town council and the Comitato Festeggiamenti Sant'Anna, with support from the regional cultural heritage department.

## The relic and the history of the feast

The relic came to Castelbuono in 1454, when Giovanni I Ventimiglia moved his court there. According to the Madonie Park authority's information sheet, it was "the most important sign of the family's standing": the skull of Sant'Anna, given to Guglielmo by the Duke of Lorraine. In the following centuries the castle chapel was decorated by the Serpotta family.

The patronage is more recent. Madonie Press reports that in 1615 the skull, stolen years earlier, was found again; tradition links a series of miracles to the relic, which led the community to proclaim Sant'Anna its patron and dedicate the novena to her.

## The novena and the feast days

From 17 July, every evening, after prayer and mass in the Palatine Chapel and the Collegio church, the statue of Sant'Anna goes round the town. Children carry the lit "coppo" and families follow with pushchairs. On 22 July there is the alborata, with 22 cannon shots and the flag raised on the castle.

| Day | What happens (2026 programme) |
|---|---|
| 25 July | town crier, flag-wavers and band through the streets; at 18:00 the Corteo delle Chiavi with the mounted lancers of the Ventimiglia guards; at 19:00 opening of the reliquary chapel and display of the skull for the prayer of the sick; at 21:00 first vespers |
| 26 July | solemnity of Sant'Anna with masses from the morning; youth races and Baby Run in Piazza Margherita; at 19:00 the 100th Giro podistico internazionale (live on Rai Sport); at 22:30 Matia Bazar concert in Piazza Castello |
| 27 July | at 11:00 pontifical mass by the bishop of Cefalù Giuseppe Marciante; at 18:00 transfer of the relic to the castle courtyard; at 21:00 procession; fireworks |

## The Corteo delle Chiavi

On 25 July the mayor symbolically hands the keys of the Palatine Chapel to the archpriest. A historical procession of about eighty people in costume crosses the centre to the castle, where the silver urn with the skull is opened. "The opening of the urn draws thousands of worshippers," mayor Mario Cicero said in 2026.

## The Cursa di Sant'Anna

On 26 July, the day of the solemnity, the [Giro podistico internazionale di Castelbuono](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/giro-podistico-internazionale-castelbuono/) is run, which locals call "a cursa i Sant'Anna". It began in 1912 and in 2026 celebrated its hundredth edition: one of the oldest road races in the world.

## The procession of the relic

On the evening of 27 July the procession leaves at 21:00 from the castle steps and covers almost two kilometres in the old town. Eighteen confraternities walk in it, led by that of Sant'Anna, with hundreds of members carrying lit candles; then come the statue of the Madonna del Rosario and the silver busts of the co-patron, Blessed Guglielmo Gnoffi, and of Sant'Anna, with the relics. Many worshippers walk the whole route barefoot.

On the way back the hymn to Sant'Anna is sung, with soloists, choir and band. The relic is shown to the faithful one last time from the castle balcony and then locked in the reliquary chapel until the following year. Fireworks close the night.

## Getting there, where to stay and where to eat

Castelbuono is about 23 km from Cefalù (25 minutes) and about 90 km from Palermo (1 hour 20), according to our calculation on OpenStreetMap without traffic. The sources do not mention dedicated parking; on 26 July the Giro podistico route takes over the streets of the centre, so it is best to arrive early.

Book ahead: see [where to stay in Castelbuono](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castelbuono/where-to-stay/) and [where to eat in Castelbuono](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castelbuono/where-to-eat/). Before you set off, check the [Castelbuono weather](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/weather/castelbuono/). In August the town carries on with the [Ypsigrock Festival](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/ypsigrock-festival/) and the [Castelbuono Jazz Festival](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/castelbuono-jazz-festival/); the other patron saints' feasts are in the calendar of [religious festivals in the Madonie](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/religious-festivals/).

## Frequently asked questions

### When is Sant'Anna celebrated in Castelbuono?

The feast runs from 17 to 27 July: the novena starts on the 17th and the main days are the 25th (Corteo delle Chiavi), the 26th (solemnity and Giro podistico) and the 27th (pontifical mass and procession with the relic at 21:00). The dates are the same every year; in 2026 25 July fell on a Saturday and the 27th on a Monday.

### What is the relic of Sant'Anna in Castelbuono?

It is the saint's skull, kept in a silver urn in the Palatine Chapel of the Ventimiglia Castle. According to the Madonie Park authority it came to Castelbuono in 1454 with Giovanni I Ventimiglia, who moved his court there; it had been given to the family by the Duke of Lorraine. It is displayed only on the feast days.

### What is the Corteo delle Chiavi?

It is the historical re-enactment on 25 July: the mayor hands the keys of the Palatine Chapel to the archpriest and a procession of about eighty people in costume, with the mounted lancers of the Ventimiglia guards, crosses the centre to the castle. There the silver urn with the saint's skull is opened. In 2026 the procession set off at 18:00.

### What is the Cursa di Sant'Anna?

It is the Giro podistico internazionale di Castelbuono, the road race held every year on 26 July, the day of the feast. It began in 1912 and in 2026 reached its hundredth edition, starting at 19:00 and broadcast live on Rai Sport.

### What is the procession on 27 July like?

It leaves at 21:00 from the castle steps and covers almost two kilometres in the old town. Eighteen confraternities walk in it, led by that of Sant'Anna, followed by the statue of the Madonna del Rosario and the silver busts of Blessed Guglielmo Gnoffi and of Sant'Anna with the relics. Many worshippers walk barefoot. On the way back the relic is shown from the castle balcony.

### Where to stay for the feast of Sant'Anna?

The feast and the Giro podistico fall on the same days and draw thousands of people. Book early starting from the list of where to stay in Castelbuono, or choose Cefalù, about 23 km and 25 minutes away by car.

## Sources

- [Castelbuonolive, programma completo di Sant'Anna 2026](https://www.castelbuonolive.com/santanna-2026-castelbuono-si-prepara-alla-festa-della-patrona-ecco-il-programma-completo-dei-festeggiamenti/)
- [Madonie Press, Sant'Anna e il centenario della Cursa (21 luglio 2026)](https://www.madoniepress.it/2026/07/21/castelbuono-festeggia-santanna-fede-tradizione-e-il-centenario-della-cursa-per-la-patrona/)
- [Madoniedintorni, la processione chiude i festeggiamenti (26 luglio 2026)](https://madoniedintorni.com/2026/07/26/castelbuono-la-solenne-processione-chiude-i-festeggiamenti-in-onore-della-patrona-s-anna/)
- [Ente Parco delle Madonie, scheda di Castelbuono (PDF)](https://parcodellemadonie.it/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/castelbuono.pdf)

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Markdown version of the page https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/festa-di-santanna-castelbuono/, from Le Madonie (lemadonie.it), an independent guide to the Madonie. Facts with source and date of check.