Almond Festival in Barrafranca

Almond Festival in Barrafranca

The almond festival in Barrafranca is one of the most important events and with the greatest participation in the city, among all the events organized by the town. It is a real celebration dedicated to one of the excellences of the area, through a busy program made up of shows and tastings.
One of the most awaited events and perhaps the best moment to appreciate the beauty of the town of Barrafranca.

Almond Festival in Barrafranca is one of the most important events of the year

The almond festival in Barrafranca takes place every year on September 14, on the occasion of Feast of the Exaltation of the Crucifix. Thanks to the mild climate and the many hours of sunshine, the municipality manages to organize one of the most spectacular and engaging events in the Enna area.
For the occasion, the community of Barrafranca organizes a tasting of typical local products including the numerous variants of almonds grown in the area. The undisputed star of the party is variety Win Everyone, grown in Barrafranca, as well as a Pietraperzia and Piazza Armerina. A specific type of almond that has a rounded shape on the outside, while inside it has a particular heart shape. The Almond Festival in Barrafranca exalts the Vinci a Tutti and given that the town is among the main producers of almonds in Italy, a visit on the occasion of this anniversary is a must. The right moment to be able to appreciate the local varieties and taste the dried fruit that has made Sicily famous all over the world.

The almond festival in Barrafranca, an event not to be missed.

A first reason to visit Barrafranca during the almond festival is linked to the high quality of the product offered. The almonds grown in this town in the province of Enna are something unique, an expression of biodiversity which, thanks to the skilful commitment of local farmers, allows us to taste an almond with an original taste and organoleptic qualities. To appreciate the remarkable nutritional properties of the Vinci a Tutti almond, stands are set up in the town where the visitor can taste many delicacies made with this ingredient. Nougats of all kinds and shapes, almond milk and toasted almonds, as well as numerous typical dishes of the Sicilian tradition revisited in a modern key.
Tastings of local products are not the only thing that attracts many tourists to Barrafranca in mid-September, but on the occasion of the Almond Festival, the whole town organizes itself to welcome tourists. The municipality welcomes visitors with artistic installations, shows, musical events and animation programs that involve both adults and children.

Origins of the Almond Festival in Barrafranca

The almond festival is deeply linked to the figure of Crucifix and for this reason it was decided to celebrate it on the occasion of the celebration dedicated to the patron saint of Barrafranca.
But to understand this deep bond we have to go back about 5 centuries and take a closer look at the cultivation of almonds practiced on the sunny hills of Barrafranca. The almond trees ripen in spring when the dry trees are filled with flowers and the hills of Enna turn white. Shortly after the white gives way to green and the scent of almonds permeates the air, but the time for harvesting has not yet come. In late summer it's time to pluck the noble fruits of prunus dulcis and let them dry in the sun.
This process was completely done by hand 500 years ago and the division of the hull from the almond was mainly practiced by women, who after long and exhausting days of work were rewarded with a few handfuls of almonds. It was precisely on one of these days, in the arid and sun-scorched lands of Barrafranca, that a wooden crucifix was found which is still carried in procession through the streets of the town on 14 September.
Legend and popular devotion that merge to the point of making it difficult to understand where one begins and the other ends. The fact is that the crucifix of the patron saint is carried in procession on a wooden halo that has the shape of an almond.

What to do during the Almond Festival in Barrafranca

Those who go to Barrafranca on the occasion of the Almond Festival will be able to enrich their itinerary by visiting some of the most interesting places in the town.
La Mother Church which is located in the center of the village was built in 1728, where the oldest church of San Sebastiano. The basilica is decorated with stuccoes made by Signorelli brothers and inside is kept the statue of Most Holy Crucifix together with a stoup that preserves the coat of arms of the Barresi nobles. Some of the more notable canvases are: Our Lady of Purification made by the painter Philip Paladino and the Mercede.
The Convent of the Benedictines and nearby Church of St. Benedict they date back to the late Sicilian Baroque and are particularly famous for the altar made of carved wood and the twisted columns that act as a frame.
The oldest church in Barrafranca is the Church of Maria SS. of the Star. Founded on an unspecified date and prior to 1598, it is the oldest place of worship in the country. Inside is preserved the painting of San Isidoro farm made by the artist Peter D'Asaro and the canvas depicting Sant'Alessandro by Francesco Vaccaro. Another prominent element is the Christ Deposed made of paper mache and life size.

How to reach the almond festival in Barrafranca

Barrafranca can be easily reached by car from both Palermo and Catania. Just take the A19 motorway and exit towards Caltanissetta, take the Caltanissetta-Gela expressway and take the exit for Ponte Capodarso towards Barrafranca.