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Events in the Madonie

Religious and patron saint festivals in the Madonie

Every Madonie village has its patron saint festival, almost always in summer: Sant'Anna in Castelbuono at the end of July, the Santissimo Salvatore in Cefalù on 6 August, San Bartolomeo in Geraci Siculo on 24 August. In spring there are the Holy Week rites, in December the living nativity scenes. Here you find each festival with the dates of the current edition and the source.

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Religious and patron saint festivals in the Madonie

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Which festivals should you not miss?

In calendar order:

What is a patron saint festival like?

Take your time. It usually lasts several days: novena or tredicina in church, street lights, a band, market stalls, and the procession with the saint’s statue on the main day, often in the evening. The parish, the committee or the town council publishes the year’s programme: the event pages link to it.

On procession day the centre is crowded: leave the car at the edge of town and check the programme for the time the statue comes out.

Where do you stay?

Small villages have few beds: if you want to sleep there on festival days, book early. Look in where to stay in the Madonie or on the village’s where to stay page. All other events are in the events calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When are the patron saint festivals in the Madonie?
Almost all between June and September. San Calogero in Petralia Sottana on 18 June, Saints Peter and Paul in Petralia Soprana on 29 June, Sant'Anna in Castelbuono between 25 and 27 July, the Santissimo Salvatore in Cefalù from 2 to 6 August, San Nicolò in Isnello on 7 September, San Gandolfo in Polizzi Generosa on the third Sunday of September.
Where can you see Holy Week rites in the Madonie?
In Cefalù, with the Good Friday procession in the evening and, on the Saturday before Palm Sunday, the Passion of Christ in Piazza Duomo. In Petralia Sottana at noon on Easter Sunday there is the 'Ncuontru: the risen Christ and the Madonna walk towards each other in the square and the Mother lets her black veil fall.
What is the Miracula rite in Gangi?
It is the climax of the Festa dello Spirito Santo in Gangi, on Whit Monday. More than forty statues of saints are carried on shoulders from the Chiesa Madre down to the Santuario dello Spirito Santo, in the lower part of the town, and on the forecourt the bearers run back and forth three times with the statues. Date and programme are on the event page.
What is the 'Ntinna a mari in Cefalù?
It is a contest over the sea at the Vecchia Marina: a long greased pole sticks out over the water with a flag bearing the image of the Santissimo Salvatore at the end. Competitors walk along it to grab the flag and almost all end up in the water. It takes place on 6 August, in the afternoon, on the feast day of Cefalù's patron saint.
Do festival dates change every year?
Some have a fixed date, like 6 August in Cefalù or 24 August in Geraci Siculo. Others follow the church calendar, like Holy Week and Pentecost, or a day of the week, like the third Sunday of September in Polizzi Generosa. Each page shows the year's dates with the source.

Sources

Page updated on 19 October 2026