Giostra dei Ventimiglia in Geraci Siculo

The Giostra dei Ventimiglia is the medieval re-enactment of Geraci Siculo, the town that was once capital of the County of Ventimiglia. It takes place every year on the first weekend of August: an evening of theatre in the square, then a Sunday with the knights’ oath, a historical parade in 14th-century costume and a horseback joust between the towns of the old County. Watching is free.

When is the Giostra dei Ventimiglia?

Recent editions have all fallen in the first week of August. The town council of Geraci Siculo announces the next date, usually in July.

Year	Edition	Dates
2026	36th	1-2 August
2025	n/a	1-3 August
2023	33rd	4-6 August

The history: the County of Ventimiglia

In the Middle Ages the Ventimiglia family ruled much of the Madonie from Geraci. Their county grew to include 39 towns and was described as a “state within the state” inside the Regnum Siciliae. The Giostra was created to keep this shared memory alive: it is part of the Progetto Contea dei Ventimiglia, which involves the towns of the old domain, and the riders compete for exactly those towns.

To see where the counts lived, read our guide to the Ventimiglia castles from Geraci to Castelbuono.

What happens: a typical programme

The 2026 programme gives a clear idea of how the festival unfolds.

Saturday evening. At 9:30 pm in Piazza del Popolo the Pro Loco stages “U Conti Cumanna”, a historical re-enactment in the square. In 2026 the play was the “Cuntu di Francìscu e Custanza”, written by Pietro Attinasi, Bartola Neglia and Liborio Paruta. In 2025 the re-enactment was held in the archaeological area of the Castello dei Ventimiglia.

Sunday morning. From 10 am musicians and flag-wavers move between Piazza del Popolo and Corso Vittorio Emanuele. At 10:30 the town welcomes the mayors and riders of the County’s towns, and at 11:30 the knights take their oath and receive a blessing.

Sunday afternoon. At 3:30 pm the historical parade sets off from Piazza del Popolo. At 4:30 pm the joust begins at the Campo di Dressage in Piazza Aldo Moro. There are three games of speed and precision: the saracen, the rings and the rose.

In 2026, 33 riders took part, some from the provinces of Messina and Enna. Francesco Fiorino won for Alimena; the winner receives the cups of the town council and of Count Alduino Ventimiglia di Monteforte, plus a cash prize.

Falconry, tents and medieval food

Around the games there are “medieval tents” with local produce, period cooking, old crafts and falconry displays. Geraci has a school of falconry on horseback, which brings falcons into the square for simulated hunts.

Practical tips

Geraci Siculo sits at 1,077 metres. From Palermo it’s about 114 km and an hour and 40 minutes; from Castelbuono 22 km on the SS286, about 25 minutes; from Gangi 14 km. You’ll find all the distances in our guide to getting to the Madonie by car.

Official sources don’t list dedicated car parks. The town is small: arrive on Sunday in the late morning if you want to see the oath and find a spot without stress.

For the night, look at where to stay in Geraci Siculo or in nearby towns. In August evenings are cool at this altitude: the Geraci Siculo forecast tells you whether to bring a jumper. Everything else about the town is on the Geraci Siculo page.

Other events in Geraci Siculo

The town has other summer events: the Vucciria Beer Festival in July and the feast of San Bartolomeo in late August. The full list is under events in Geraci Siculo, and other re-enactments on the Madonie cultural events page.