Siccagno tomato festival in Corleone

La Siccagno tomato festival in Corleone is very recent and is an opportunity to celebrate with the whole community but also to reflect on the potential for economic and social development of the city and on the value of local products for a healthy and balanced diet.

Description of the Siccagno tomato festival in Corleone

Il Siccagno Fest is an event designed to promote the diffusion of Siccagno tomato Corleonese which boasts a very long tradition. The red fruit grows without water, exploiting the earth's resources and is small since the plant is not irrigated, but it is a concentrate of nutritional properties, vitamin C and polyphenols and flavonoids, antioxidant substances that counteract cellular aging. It is also low in fat and has a sweet and compact pulp which makes the fruit very tasty.

For some years now, the town has been working towards the recognition of the PGI and DOP brands of Siccagno Corleonese and in the meantime it is celebrating its tastiest product with a great event. The festival begins with a debate in the town's municipal villa with the director of the Institute for the promotion and valorisation of the Mediterranean diet and with the protagonists of local politics and the agri-food sector and continues through the streets of the historic center where the stalls offer the tasting and sale of fresh and dried fruit. There is no shortage of other typical local products such as cheese, honey, bread, pumpkins, and wine in a festive atmosphere that animates the town.

History of the Siccagno tomato festival in Corleone

Corleone in the Middle Ages was a Muslim stronghold against Frederick II and still retains architectural and cultural traces of the Saracen occupation. In 1080 it was conquered by the Normans and in the following years the most famous families of the Kingdom of Sicily took turns in managing the fiefdom and built churches and palaces as a symbol of their social power.

Corleone grows due to the excellent quality of its wine , wheat production and experienced a period of change in the 700th century with the expulsion of the Society of Jesus from the reign of Charles III. The goods belonging to the order are purchased at very low prices by entrepreneurs in the area who modernize and transform the agricultural system while also promoting good distribution of local products outside the Palermo area. In fact, from some documents it emerges that in 1770 in Agrigento the community offered a lunch to a high ecclesiastic with some dishes seasoned with a Corleone waterless tomatoes.

A testimony to the entrepreneurial ability of the Siccagno tomato producers who bring the red fruit throughout the island. In 2019 the local administration organizes the first festival to celebrate the siccagno as the protagonist of the gastronomy and economy of the area.

When the Siccagno di Corleone tomato festival takes place

The Siccagno Corleonese festival is organized every year in September.

Where the Siccagno di Corleone tomato festival takes place

The festival takes place in the municipal villa of Corleone in Piazza Falcone e Borsellino and in Corso dei Mille where the stand for tasting and the sale of local products.

What to do during the Siccagno Festival in Corleone

Walking through the streets of Corleone celebrating the Siccagno Festival you can appreciate the historic center full of churches. One of the most interesting is the Mother Church which on the outside respects the Muslim style, while inside it houses the symbols of the Catholic faith. In fact, there are nine canvases with a religious theme painted between 1500 and 1700, a wooden crucifix of Byzantine origin from the XNUMXth century and several finely crafted vestments.

The city also has a military fortress that overlooks the town centre, the soprano castle. The structure built in the XNUMXth century has a circular tower built by the Arabs and for years represented the military garrison of Corleone with the Sottano Castle which today is a hermitage of the Franciscan friars that cannot be visited.

Don't miss the International Mafia Documentation Center and of the Anti-Mafia Movement which collects the files of the maxi trial against the mafia brought by magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. The Center also hosts the photographs of Letizia Battaglia which immortalize the mafia murders carried out between the 70s and 80s, an always open wound in the history of our country, but also an opportunity for reflection.

How to reach Corleone

From Palermo you need to take via Mura di Porta Montalto in the direction of Corso Re Ruggero and continue for 1,8 km. Take the SS624 and follow the signs for Corleone/San Cipriello towards the SP2. Continue on via Santa Lucia on the SP80 in Corleone and continue for 26,5 km until you reach the municipal villa where the event begins.