Festival of Sfincia in Custonaci

The capital of Sfincia, Custonaci, is located in the Free Municipal Consortium of Trapani, overlooking the transparent waters of the Gulf of Bonagia, in Sicily. Here one of the most gluttonous summer events on the island takes place in July: the Sagra della Sfincia, a food and wine event where you can taste genuine local products and of course she, the Sfincia, fried donut with incredible softness, made even sweeter by sandblasting in sugar.

La Sfincia is a simple but irresistible dessert and more and more visitors arrive in Custonaci every summer to taste the delicacies of home cooking.

The stands that are located in the square for the entire period of the festival also offer visitors other tastings and the streets are filled with artists, between shows and music, with concerts in the square.
Adults and children enjoy this typical dessert together, which was once prepared for the Christmas holidays, but is now fried every month of the year: potatoes, flour and the wisdom of ancient family recipes make this dessert of humble origins a real own delicacy. To taste the original, discover the festival organized in the capital of Sfincia, Custonaci.

The history of the festival in the capital of sfincia, in custonaci

The Sfincia is a typical dessert of the family kitchen of the area and was the dessert to be prepared for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and in the days leading up to Christmas. In recent years, however, this delicious dessert has become a sin of gluttony to be indulged in every day in Custonaci.

The Sagra della Sfincia was born in 1990 and since 2007 has also welcomed other nations who wish to participate in this sweet fair, bringing their sweets and typical products for tasting. The result is a great food and wine event full of taste, which attracts many visitors curious to discover the typical flavors of Sicily and beyond.
For this reason, the Municipality of Custonaci, already known as the City of Marbles, supports and supports the initiative of the Sagra della Sfincia, becoming its capital.

A small mention is obligatory, to better explain the origins of the name of this delicious pancake: the Sfincia of Arab origin, derives from the Infang term, which means pancake, but its name also approaches the Latin origins of the term spongia, or sponge. This is exactly how the Sfincia appears, a round pancake that absorbs the sweetness and releases all its flavor bite after bite.

When the festival takes place in the capital of Sfincia, Custonaci

The Sagra della Sfincia in Custonaci takes place from 6 to 14 July and is one of the appointments with the taste of the Sicilian summer.

Where the Sfincia festival takes place

The Sfincia Festival in Custonaci takes place in Piazza Riviera in Cornino, a maritime fraction of the municipality, in its splendid panorama between the sea and the mountains.

What to do during the festival in the capital of Sfincia, in Custonaci

When you arrive in the Capital of Sfincia, Custonaci, you cannot help but taste the typical local fritter, with its unmistakable flavor and the Festival is the perfect opportunity to do so; in addition, visitors will have the opportunity to taste many other desserts of international cuisine and typical Sicilian products, naturally at km 0. A real feast of taste awaits you in Custonaci.

However, your holiday in western Sicily can also offer you many other attractions, such as the beautiful beaches of the Gulf, of which Cornino is a perfect example, or the Santa Margherita beach, a bay with intense colors a few kilometers from San Vito Lo Capo. Among the natural beauties of this area, there is also the Oriented Natural Reserve of the Zingaro, a protected area that preserves breathtaking natural panoramas, between beaches and cliffs adorned with vegetation; the Reserve is about 28 km from Custonaci.

Even in the surroundings of the town, however, there is certainly no shortage of beauties to admire, especially the natural ones: a fraction of Custonaci falls within the territory of the Monte Cofano Oriented Nature Reserve, while about 20 km to the north, on the promontory there is the Tonnara.

Another nearby attraction is the Caves of Scurati, where you can admire the Mangiapane cave, impressive for its grandeur.

In the village, those who want to discover the history of the place and the artistic beauties of this municipality can visit the Sanctuary of Maria Santissima of Custonaci, in the heart of the village: whoever wants to, can follow the Mass even on vacation, consulting the times of functions.
The Sanctuary, built in the second half of the XNUMXth century, is introduced by a beautiful brick churchyard, which leads inside, to discover its marvelous Gothic architecture.

Those who love cities of art can easily reach Trapani from Custonaci at just 17 km, where it is advisable to start the visit from Basilica of Maria Santissima Annunziata, built in the XNUMXth century, with its beautiful bell tower.

How to get to the capital of Sfincia, Custonaci, to participate in the festival

Custonaci, in the Free Municipal Consortium of Trapani, can be easily reached by car or train and from the centre, the route to get to Cornino is just 3 km.

To get to the town, take the A29 Palermo-Mazara del Vallo, taking the exit for Castellammare del Golfo and continuing up to Custonaci; by train, you can get off at Trapani Station, which is 15 km from the town and is served by buses and shuttles.