Feast of Saints Peter and Paul in Petralia Soprana

Petralia Soprana was named one of the most beautiful villages in Italy by the broadcast a few years ago At the foot of Kilimanjaro. Well this very location, on the occasion of the festival dedicated to Saint Peter and Paul who are its patrons, organizes an event that brings together thousands of visitors, attracted not only by the beauty of the place but also by a program of events that mixes the sacred and the profane. An excellent excuse, therefore, to organize a weekend in these parts: here's how.

The Feast of St. Peter and Paul

It is undeniable that when we talk about important celebrations we are referring to only one event regarding the religious festivals of Petralia Soprana: Saint Peter and Paul and the patronal celebrations. In this village on the outskirts of Palermo, in fact, there is a very close relationship that binds the citizens to the two saints and for this reason the locals have decided to dedicate a fixed annual event to this occasion.
The Feast of Saints Peter and Paul in Petralia Soprana becomes a religious occasion which is also used to raise awareness of the area and its excellences, not only cultural but also gastronomic and folkloristic. The program of events includes two intense days during which religious celebrations and processions are interspersed with more playful and profane moments.

The history linked to the feast of Saint Peter and Paul

The cult of Saint Peter is very ancient in the Petralia Soprana area and is truly lost in the mists of time. It seems that the first celebrations were held in the Byzantine era, given that in the area there was a convent of Basilian monks who were very active in that sense. However, we had to wait until the fifteenth century, precisely 1497, for the recently built mother church to be consecrated to Saints Paul and Peter, as the plaque which is placed above the entrance door still tells us today.
Already in the Norman era, i.e. in the 29th century, the festival dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul in Petralia Soprana was an unmissable event, which attracted people from the nearby villages and also included the presence of the archbishop of Messina who only on that occasion could wear the pallium. he party lasted for one day and so it was until the XNUMXth century, held exclusively on the day of June XNUMXth. Then the King Ferdinand II of Bourbon he decided in 1838 to extend the event to two days, the 28th and 29th.

When the festival takes place

If once upon a time the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul in Petralia Soprana was held exclusively on 28 and 29 June, for a few decades the habit has been of extending the celebrations to other days, so the appointment to be fixed in calendar is the one that goes from 26 to 29 June. During these days various religious celebrations are held, while in the evening there are more worldly events that lead to folklore.

Where the event takes place

The Festival involves the entire town as the procession carrying around the statues of the Saints touches different areas of the village. The starting point of the party is represented by Matrix square, where you can find the statues of the saints who will be part of the procession and which come from the Loreto church and the San Salvatore church.
Then the procession unravels through the streets of the village, sometimes in single file because the narrow streets of the historic center do not allow the bearers to walk side by side, other times closer together, as happens in front of the city ​​Hall, where the procession stops to allow the authorities to say hello. The food stands are scattered throughout the village and in the main squares.

What to do during the Festival

Certainly following the procession of the Saints is one of the main and most loved activities of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul in Petralia Soprana. The procession is opened by the wooden statues which are dated 1767 but are followed immediately afterwards by the musical band, the drums of Polizzi Generosa but also by the banners representing the different hamlets of the town.
Then there are the statues of Saints and Madonnas that come from other neighboring parishes. The procession thus composed parades through the streets of the town, then returns to the main square for the celebration of mass by the parish priest. As soon as they return to their respective churches, the most folkloristic celebration begins, made up of food and wine stands, typical products and musical shows with various local bands to cheer up the public.

How to get to Petralia Soprana

Those who wish to take part in the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul in Petralia Soprana will be able to easily reach the place with their own car.
The town, which is located in the province of Palermo, is connected to the capital via the A 20 which connects Palermo to Messina, with the Buonfornello exit for those coming from Palermo, while those coming from Messina must instead exit at Pollina/Castelbuono.
Finally, from Catania, the reference motorway is the A 19 up to the Irosa exit.
As regards the train, however, Petralia Soprana does not have its own railway station but relies on those of the nearby towns such as Termini Imerese or Cefalù from which it is then possible to continue with a bus service organized by the ATS company, departing from Palermo.

© Davide Mauro, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons; Davide Mauro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons