Salt Festival of Petralia Soprana

Petralia Soprana has always been known for the presence of one of the most important salt pans in Italy. For this reason, every year in August, at the end of the holiday period, the festival of the Salt of Petralia Soprana which aims to raise awareness of this product which represents an excellence of the territory but also to involve visitors in the discovery of a territory that until a few years ago was somewhat marginalized by the most important tourist flows. That's why participate in the Petralia Soprana Salt Festival.

Description of the Petralia Soprana Salt Festival

The Petralia Soprana Salt Festival is an event that every year attracts many visitors to this locality in the province of Palermo who are interested in learning more about the benefits of this element and all the uses that can be made of it, as well as the techniques of extraction and processing of the same. Obviously, however, the event dedicated to this product tries to provide as many attractive elements as possible so as to involve a vast public.

Precisely for this reason, this event has been organized for several years, which includes various moments, from the more formative ones that aim to tell in detail the manufacturing process of the rock salt, to the more entertainment ones that include food stands and music and entertainment concerts. All obviously mixing folklore and good food.

The story linked to the Petralia Soprana Salt Festival

To better understand the history linked to the Petralia Soprana Salt Festival, it is essential to understand the relationship that has always linked this town to salt. Precisely in this area, in fact, there is a deposit of rock salt which is one of the most rich in Europe, which is located inside a mountain which is over a thousand meters high above sea level and which has been known since the times of Arab domination.

Just the Arabs, in fact, used the Salso river as via del sale, along the lines of the via del mare, and they gathered in this area a very pure and fine quality product, given that it is made up of almost 95% sodium chloride.

For many centuries the salt was extracted by hand and then processed, only in 1972 the system changed thanks to the arrival of Italkali who created an industrial extraction system, which involved carrying out the activities directly underground, thanks to very long underground tunnels that extend for about 70 km.

When the Petralia Soprana Salt Festival takes place

The festival is held every year in August, usually on the weekend of the last week of the month. The date is historically that of the late summer period because it was precisely the one in which the fishermen and farmers used salt to be able to preserve the products of the earth with which they would then eat throughout the year. However, there are no fixed dates since the weekend is preferred in order to allow a greater number of people to participate and therefore much depends on the specific calendar of the current year.

Where the event takes place

The event involves the whole country as each area hosts a particular activity. The main squares of the district are those appointed to host the food and wine stands and the salt processing, which involve an audience of all ages. During the days dedicated to the party, it is also possible to take guided tours of the MACSS which is the SottoSale Museum of Contemporary Art, where you can admire some masterpieces made from this material.

What to do during the Petralia Soprana Salt Festival

The program of the Petralia Soprana salt festival is always very rich and articulated, as it includes different moments, to satisfy a large audience. Since the great protagonist of the event is obviously the rock salt, there are numerous stands that tell the different stages of its processing, from the moment of extraction to the distribution that takes place publicly in the square during a much loved event which is known by the name of ritual some salt.

In the evening, then, the food stands open up offering many culinary specialties in which the presence of rock salt is always very strong. To accompany everything, there are musical performances, representations in costume, processions that also want to remember the history of a people, that of Petralia Soprana, which has linked its existence to the production of salt and which has seen in this element a moment of important redemption from the miseries of a land otherwise condemned to impoverish without respite. Finally, there are also photographic and art exhibitions that have as their subject themes related to the production of salt and its many implications.

How to get to Petralia Soprana

Those wishing to take part in the Petralia Soprana Salt Festival can 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.