Food festival · Petralia Soprana
Sagra del Sale in Raffo
The Sagra del Sale in Raffo, a Petralia Soprana hamlet by the rock salt mine: two evenings in late August with food stalls, music, an exhibition and free salt.
2026 edition
OverRaffo, hamlet of Petralia Soprana, near the Italkali rock salt mine, Petralia Soprana
Programme
33rd edition: traditions, culture and food linked to the rock salt mine.
This edition is over. We update the page as soon as the next dates are out.
Source: madoniedintorni.com, checked on 19 October 2026
The Sagra del Sale is the festival of Raffo, a hamlet of Petralia Soprana close to the rock salt mine. Two evenings in the second half of August with an exhibition on local history, tasting stalls, music and, at the end of each night, rock salt handed out, mined just a short walk from the hamlet. In 2026 the 33rd edition was held on 21 and 22 August.
When is it held?
The festival takes up two consecutive evenings in late August, between Friday and Sunday.
| Year | Edition | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 33rd | Friday 21 and Saturday 22 August |
| 2023 | 30th | Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 August |
Raffo and rock salt
Raffo lies at the springs of the Salso river, a short distance from the rock salt mine run by Italkali (Balarm). For the organisers, salt “is not just a local resource but part of the collective memory of Raffo and the Madonie”, and the festival tells its story through culture, traditional food and music (Madoniedintorni).
In 2023 the final evening had a moment devoted to the mineral itself: performers dressed as miners carried the rock salt while a narrator told its history and uses.
The 2026 programme
| Day | Time | What |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 21 August | 6 pm | Opening of the exhibition “Le Lotte Contadine di Epifanio Li Puma” |
| 6:30 pm | Presentation of the book “Il fenomeno del brigantaggio e le rivolte contadine” by Franco Alleri | |
| 7:30 pm | Tasting stalls and music with the Vanova’s Band | |
| Saturday 22 August | 6 pm | Visit to the photo exhibition on the peasant struggles |
| 7:30 pm | Tasting stalls, music with accordionist Emanuele Polizzi and clarinettist Salvo La Placa |
Both evenings ended with rock salt donated by Italkali being handed out.
Peasant memory
The festival isn’t only about food. The 2026 exhibition, like the 2023 one, was devoted to Epifanio Li Puma, the trade unionist killed by the Mafia, and to the social and peasant struggles that shaped the history of Raffo and the Madonie.
What to eat
The stalls open in the evening. In 2023 there were chickpeas, sausage, wine and dishes made by local women, then street food along the hamlet’s main street. The menu changes every year.
Practical tips
Raffo is a small hamlet in the municipality of Petralia Soprana. For the road, start from our guide to getting to the Madonie by car: Petralia Soprana is about 103 km from Palermo, via the Tremonzelli exit on the A19. Sources don’t mention dedicated car parks.
For a bed, see where to stay in Petralia Soprana; for food, where to eat in Petralia Soprana. Before you go, check the Petralia Soprana weather.
In early August, in another hamlet of the same municipality, there’s the Sagra del Grano in Pianello. The rest of the municipality is on the Petralia Soprana page, local events under events in Petralia Soprana, and other festivals in the Madonie food festival calendar.
Frequently asked questions
- When is the Sagra del Sale in Raffo?
- The Sagra del Sale is held in Raffo, a hamlet of Petralia Soprana, on two evenings in the second half of August. In 2026 the 33rd edition was on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 August; in 2023, the 30th, on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 August. The 2027 dates have not been announced yet.
- What does salt have to do with Raffo?
- Raffo lies a short distance from the rock salt mine run by Italkali, at the springs of the Salso river. Rock salt, the organisers write, is a local resource and part of the village's collective memory. At the end of each evening of the festival, rock salt donated by Italkali is handed out.
- Is the Sagra del Sale free?
- Entry is free: Balarm listed the festival as free in 2023. You pay for the tastings at the stalls. The rock salt handed out at the end of the evenings is donated by Italkali, which works with the organisers.
- What is there to eat at the Sagra del Sale?
- The tasting stalls open in the evening, from 7:30 pm in 2026. In 2023 there were chickpeas, sausage, wine and other dishes made by the women of Raffo, plus street food along the hamlet's main street.
- Who organises the Sagra del Sale?
- It's organised by the Associazione Raffo Sport Club, with the collaboration of Italkali, the company that runs the mine, and the patronage of the town of Petralia Soprana. The festival is part of Petralia Soprana's summer programme.
