Feast of San Giuseppe in Scicli

Among the most beautiful and evocative events in Italy is the Feast of San Giuseppe di Scicli: it is an event that involves all citizens and amazes the patrons, enchanted by the rites handed down for centuries that wind between the sacred and the profane, rich in meanings and symbols.

The feast of San Giuseppe in Scicli

The key event of the feast of San Giuseppe in Scicli takes place on Saturday and is the Ride, composed by knights dressed in traditional clothes and steeds decked out in floral cloaks: in the typical dammusi, in fact, the trappings made of wallflower flowers fixed on jute cloths are prepared, to form scenes in honor of the Holy Family.

The knights find themselves parading from Church of San Giuseppe up to Piazza Italia, where they will parade in order to be judged by a sort of committee: during the journey the riders stop at the bonfire, where they will be able to receive wine, meat and sweets as gifts.
The knights return to the church of San Giuseppe escorting the statue of San Giuseppe among the torches (ciaccare), to then wait for the verdict of the most beautiful harness: the winners let themselves go with shouts of jubilation, with the words "Fatherland, Fatherland, Patriarch".
The following Sunday the horse trappings that paraded the day before are exhibited in front of the church of San Giuseppe: in the afternoon the procession takes place with the statue of San Giuseppe, followed in the evening by the "St. Joseph's dinner", a type of charity auction of local handicrafts and traditional sweets.

History of the Feast of San Giuseppe in Scicli

The cult of St. Joseph became more widespread following the Council of Trent and with the proclamation of the saint as patriarch of the Church in 1870 by Pius IX.
The feast, which in the past also had pagan meanings linked to the arrival of spring and the awakening of nature, is today linked to the biblical episode of the flight into Egypt of the Holy Family. The very presence of the torches during the Cavalcata indicates the shedding of light on the passage of the Madonna, of San Giuseppe and of the Child, who flee from Herod's fury.

When the Feast of San Giuseppe takes place in Scicli

The Feast of San Giuseppe in Scicli takes place on Saturday following March 19th, in which St. Joseph himself is celebrated: the Cavalcade takes place at 19:00.

Where the Feast of San Giuseppe takes place in Scicli

The festival takes place in Scicli, a village in the province of Ragusa whose wonderful historic center has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the event winds between Piazza Italia and the Church of San Giuseppe.

What to do during the Feast of San Giuseppe in Scicli

The Feast of San Giuseppe in Scicli is the perfect opportunity to visit the village and its great historical and artistic heritage. There are many churches in Scicli, from that of San Michele Arcangelo to the fourteenth century Church of San Giovanni Evangelista like the characteristic facade with a concave-convex shape, inside which the Christ of Burgos is kept.
Then they are beautiful Church of St. Bartholomew set like a pearl between the high walls of the Quarry of San Bartolomeo , Church of Santa Maria La Nova from the Byzantine era.

In Scicli elegant buildings stand out such as Palazzo Spadaro and the beautiful Palace Benevento from the XNUMXth century, a real late Baroque jewel.
Among the many things to see in Scicli there are the Colle San Matteo, where the ancient Rocca di Šiklah and the rock caves of the Bocche Nere rise.

How to get to Scicli

To enjoy the feast of San Giuseppe you have to reach Scicli: from Catania you have to take the A18 to the village of Rosolini or the SS194 in the direction of Ragusa, then turning to Modica Sorda and finally proceeding towards Scicli.
Those coming from Palermo must instead take the A19 towards Catania, exit at Caltanissetta and continue on the SS115 towards the city of Gela and then towards Marina di Ragusa and Donnalucata up to Scicli.