Patronal Feast of San Giacomo in Villarosa

In the town of Villarosa, in the province of Enna, August 10 has been a special day for over two hundred years. In fact, it is precisely on this date that the Patron Saint day, San Giacomo Maggiore.

Description of the Feast of San Giacomo in Villarosa

La Patronal feast in Villarosa an event that attracts thousands of faithful from all over the area, attracted by a festival full of joy, music and fireworks that surround the colorful stalls that fill the center of the Sicilian town.

The feast begins with religious celebrations involving the entire city community who first participate in the solemn Mass in honor of the Saint and then in the following procession of the Simulacrum which is opened by the musical band.

History of the Feast of San Giacomo in Villarosa

More than two centuries have passed since the first time the feast of St. James was inaugurated and since then, in a careful way, the citizens have kept the historical traditions intact while purging them of those redundancies that distinguished the fair.

Above all in the last half century, the event has gradually transformed, updating itself to the present even if it has maintained the rituals of tradition.

On the other hand, we should not forget the fact that this celebration was born parallel to the village of Villarosa when this was nothing more than a small agricultural village called San Giacomo di Bombinetto which was later transformed into San Giacomo di Villarosa and, finally, only Villarosa .

There is no certainty about the reason for which San Giacomo was chosen as patron saint, but only hypotheses and the most accredited is that the feast was imposed by the Notarbartolos when they arrived in this area. There are also other explanations such as the one that the festival was in existence even before the eighteenth century and the one that involved rites associated with the harvesting of the harvest.

All in all, it is possible that the three explanations could cross each other, effectively giving rise to the birth of the feast of this saint, already venerated in Santiago de Compostela in Spain even before the arrival of the Noterbartolos in this territory.

It is believed that the Spaniards who arrived in this locality had also brought the cult of San Giacomo and, once replaced by the Noterbartolos, these, not wanting to modify what had already been acquired by the local population, maintained this rite perhaps by linking it to the wheat harvest of month of July, turning it into a sort of trade fair and religious festival.

When the Feast of San Giacomo takes place in Villarosa

As anticipated, even if San Giacomo is celebrated on July 25, the event is scheduled for August 10th that is, when the grain harvest is over and the party can be a kind of thanksgiving for what has been produced.

It should be emphasized that at the time the festival was also a reason for farmers, ranchers and traders to meet, who also met to sign agreements and do business, so much so that the kermesse - where it was possible to exploit the sale of livestock - attracted many notables from all over the world. part of the region.

What to do during the Feast of San Giacomo

The Patronal Feast in Villarosa in honor of San Giacomo, as for other events of this nature, is divided into two specific segments which relate to the religious aspect and that of the kermesse itself.

During the day of August 10, the Mass is celebrated to venerate the Saint and, immediately after, the procession takes place, led by the Band that anticipates the procession where the simulacrum is transported through the main streets of the town in which thousands of faithful participate .

In the historic center there are stalls of merchants offering both typical foodstuffs and clothing and objects in an atmosphere of joyful celebration. Depending on what is proposed by the organizing committee, there are various appointments during the day where you can get involved by listening to music, attending shows in the square or tasting the gastronomic specialties of the area in a crescendo that culminates with the traditional fireworks display that closes the celebrations and the day of celebration.

The fulcrum of the celebrations is Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, right in the center of Villarosa.

How to get to Villarosa

By car:: from Palermo and Catania, take the A19 towards Catania and take the exit for Enna. Then continue towards Villarosa for about 13 kilometers on the SS 121; from Messina, take the A18 in the direction of Catania, and continue on the A19 in the direction of Palermo and take the Enna junction. Then continue towards Villarosa for about 13 kilometers on the SS 121.