Feast of San Calogero in Naro

Among the most venerated saints of all Sicily, San Calogero is object, a Naro, of one of the most popular festivals on the island and in the world. In the city of Agrigento the patron saint is honored in the context of multi-stage celebrations, which attract visitors and tourists every year to witness a moment that summarizes faith, tradition and folklore.

History of the Feast of San Calogero in Naro

The cult in honor of San Calogero dated directly to the last years of the life of the Saint himself, who in Naro lived part of his existence as a hermit dedicated to preaching, administering the sacraments and caring for the sick.

Since his death the cave where he lived in Naro has become a destination for veneration e pilgrimages, with a first temple erected on it already in the Middle Ages. The current Sanctuary of San Calogero in Naro dates back to 1599, fully entering the renowned Baroque of Naro.

When the San Calogero Festival takes place in Naro

The month of San Calogero opens in mid-May, when the flow of devotees to the Chalcedonian saint begins to thicken, culminating in the celebrations of mid-June: the 18th is the day dedicated to San Calogero in the liturgical calendar, the anniversary of the hermit's death who died on the night between the 17th and 18nd June.

The late spring celebrations end on June 25th, but the anniversary of the "patronage" of San Calogero, on January 11th, is also particularly heartfelt, established to thank the Saint for having saved Naro from the terrible earthquake of 1693.

More recently, a celebration on a Sunday in August was also introduced in Naro, to allow emigrants from Naro, as well as numerous tourists, to pay homage to the Patron Saint of Naro: this proclamation dates back to 1626, after the Saint, who appeared to the religious Sister Serafina Pulcella Lucchesi announced to the population that they would be spared from the plague epidemic that was raging on the island.

Where the San Calogero Festival takes place in Naro

The entire city is involved in the celebrations in honor of San Calogero: both the streets traveled by the processions, as well as the other city roads, such as Viale Umberto (formerly Viale San Calogero), where the traditional fair market. Other areas of the city are equally involved, with different events being organised cultural events with theatrical performances, concerts and popular culture events.

What to do at the San Calogero Festival in Naro

The San Calogero Festival in Naro is full of evocative moments, which allow you to fully experience the city and the sense of devotion of the community. Starting from June 15th, when the simulacrum of the "black Saint" (from the skin color traditionally attributed to him), created in 1566 by the sculptor Francesco Frazzotta di Militello and completed by his daughter, is brought from the cave to the Sanctuary above dedicated to San Calogero .

The culmination of the celebrations is June 18th, with the procession along the streets of the city of the "stràula”, a large sleigh pulled with 200 meter long ropes by the faithful, many of whom were barefoot. Also noteworthy is the offering, as a votive offering, of loaves of bread showing the limbs being healed: San Calogero is in fact known for its healing qualities miracle worker, and the loaves of bread are then redistributed to the faithful.

Another very popular procession is the final one on 19 June, which brings back the simulacrum of the Saint - which also hosts a relic, a humeral bone – in the Sanctuary. On June 25th it is the turn of the octave, with a further procession that definitively concludes the celebrations.
The Feast of San Calogero in Naro is therefore an unmissable human fresco, but also a delicious opportunity to get to know the most beautiful and evocative architectural, cultural, food and wine aspects of Naro: evidence of this is the considerable attention it enjoys, placing it among them most anticipated events in Sicily.

How to get to the San Calogero Festival in Naro

Reaching Naro for the San Calogero Festival is simple and easy: with your own or rental car, or using the frequent bus lines, the road routes to take into consideration are the highways 115, 410 and 576. The same goes for those who reach Sicily by plane: the closest airports arePalermo Falcone e Borsellino Airport, 170 km away, and Trapani Vincenzo Florio Airport, 180 km away.