Feast of San Nicola di Bari in Isnello

Isnello, medieval village of the Madonie in province of Palermo celebrates the Patron saint with religious liturgies and elements of the local tradition. In fact, the faithful carry the statue of the saint in procession and sing very ancient dialectal compositions to invoke the protection of San Nicola.

The Feast of San Nicola di Bari in Isnello

La Feast of St. Nicholas of Bari in Isnello it begins 7 days before the event when the parish bells ring to call the community to the church for the evening mass. The faithful recite the rosary, invoke the saint's protection and blessing. On the day of the feast the devotees carry in procession from Mother Church a small simulacrum of San Nicola placed in a small vara which in the local dialect they call "varicose".
The procession is anticipated by the banners of the saints who are celebrated in the town throughout the year and by the musical band.
The faithful always walk the same route every year and at some established points they stop to recite "froth", a poem without rhymes sung in Sicilian dialect and dedicated to the saint.
At 20.00 the torchlight procession begins which involves the whole town. In fact, the devotees hold a candle and sing the praises of San Nicola which date back to 1820 and bear witness to the ancient bond between the community and the saint. The event ends with a procession of ecclesiastical and civil authorities and the faithful who carry a fifteenth-century statue of San Nicola in procession.
The wooden simulacrum is placed in a sumptuous vara and runs through the historic center of Isnello, while in the background there are fireworks and music, a celebration that also fascinates many tourists.

The history of the Feast of San Nicola di Bari in Isnello

Already in the 700s, the people of Isnelle composed the first frottole in honor of San Nicola. Some compositions are commissioned to important specialized Sicilian musicians and for years the Festa del Santo is a riot of firecrackers, music and prayer.
The event is reserved for men who carry the banners of San Nicola through the streets of the town and recite the frottole. As a sign of devotion to the saint, the richest of the town carry a pole to which brocade fabrics enriched with gold and silver threads are tied, which they then offer to the Mother Church. The women, on the other hand, dressed up, watch the procession from the balconies.

When the event takes place

The liturgical feast is the 6th December, but from 29 August at 7 September there are external celebrations in honor of the saint.

Where the Feast of San Nicola di Bari takes place in Isnello

Isnello is a village in the province of Palermo that celebrates its patron saint, San Nicola di Bari with a big party. The Mother Church calls the faithful to pray, while the procession with the simulacrum of the saint starts from via Matrice and arrives at the ancient city gate called the port, through the narrow streets of the centre.

What to do during the Feast of San Nicola di Bari in Isnello

La Mother Church is dedicated to St. Nicholas and it is the building where the liturgies for the Feast are celebrated. The 400th century structure has three naves and inside the Addolorata chapel is decorated with 500th century frescoes. The church houses "The Deposition", a canvas by the painter Giuseppe Salerno and a wooden statue of the patron saint from 1490. Also worth seeing are the choir and the organ, two masterpieces in inlaid wood from the early 600s.

Isnello it's a paese and with a medieval structure rich in ancient churches therefore the Feast of San Nicola is an opportunity to visit the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, Church of San Michele , Church of the Rosary.
Do not miss the Wefts of Thread museum, to discover fabrics with designs and embroideries that belong to the Isnellesi tradition.
Just outside the town is the Madonie Park with its centuries-old oak forest, holm oaks and cork oaks.

How to get to the Mother Church of Isnello to attend the Feast of San Nicola di Bari

From Palermo take the E90 from Via Roma and continue in the direction of the SS113 to Campofelice di Roccella. Take the Buonfornello exit and continue on the SP9 for 26km in the direction of Via Matrice in Isnello where the Mother Church is located.