The Oil Festival in Furnari

In Sicily, eating well is the rule: the secret of a healthy but tasty diet is contained in genuine, 0 km ingredients, which in a land with a rural vocation like the island are always preferred when it comes to sitting down at the table.
In Furnari, a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Messina located on the Tyrrhenian coast of the island, good food is celebrated with festivals and events where it is possible to find the better than this earth. The Oil Festival in Furnari is one of the gastronomic events not to be missed, for those who are in Sicily in the month of July or want to organize a summer holiday full of good taste.
Local olives and freshly baked bread await you at the Furnari tastings, along with many typical products that you can taste, while listening to live music in the square and starting to relax on your Sicilian holiday.
Music and dancing, food and, of course, excellent local wine: the perfect evening to inaugurate your summer holiday awaits you at the Olive Oil Festival in Furnari. Oil and wine are the main products of the land in these areas and to discover them, all you have to do is reach the Sagra.
To accompany tourists to the heart of the festival, a return bus and shuttle service is provided.

The history of the oil festival in Furnari

The Azimut 360° Association is responsible for organizing the Oil Festival in Furnari, which opens the local summer season.
The festival was founded in 2001 to introduce everyone to the best local products such as oil, cheese and wine. Every year the musical entertainment of this event is entrusted to talented local bands.
The gastronomic initiative is the result of the commitment of young people in the area, animated by the desire to collect the best local traditions to make them known to the general summer public.
The name of the town that hosts the festival is already a whole program: Furnari, a Sicilian surname of Greek origin, alludes to the profession of the baker, so where can you enjoy excellent bread and oil, if not in Furnari?

When the oil festival takes place in Furnari

On July 31st the Oil Festival in Furnari opens the summer season every year, by tradition. The festival is a nocturnal event that starts at 21.00 pm.

Where the oil festival takes place in Furnari

Tastings, music and fun await you in Furnari in Piazza Marconi.
Furnari is a town that extends between the coast and the hills and is located about 56 km from Messina, overlooking the Tyrrhenian coast of Sicily: the square where the event takes place is located in the seaside area of ​​the town.

What to do during the oil festival in Furnari

Simple, but truly loved by everyone, bread and oil is a delicious snack for adults and children: everyone is invited to taste the excellent local oil, tasting the bread, fresh and in bruschetta, accompanied by local cheeses and other typical products. A good glass of wine for the older ones and the Sicilian summer can begin. At night you eat and dance to the rhythm of the music, then go back to sleep safely accompanied by shuttles to the hotel.
Your holiday in Sicily has just begun: after a carefree evening spent together with the inhabitants of the town and the other tourists who meet at the festival, in Sicily everyone can find the attractions best suited to their tastes: history and architecture, relaxation and nature, culture and flavours.
Visiting Furnari, with his Old Fountain, Mother Church of the Holy Cross and the beach of portorosa it is certainly only the first stop of a larger tour; along the Tyrrhenian coast, in fact, there are interesting archaeological areas such as that of Tindari (where you can also visit the Greek Theatre) and beautiful natural areas such as Marinello Lakes Reserve.

Of course, in Sicily you cannot leave out a stop on the beach and the most beautiful ones in the Gulf of Milazzo are those of the Bay of Tindari. Here you can swim in the crystal clear waters of the Gulf, while from the splendid cliffs of Cape Tindari you can enjoy the wonderful sea view.
In the natural reserves of Eastern Sicily you can follow trekking routes or take relaxing walks in the greenery, but birdwatching is also an exciting activity, as in the Parco delle Gorges of Alcantara, where the golden eagle can be spotted. Camastra, where the Alcantara Gorges are located, is about 53 km from Furnari, a different destination from the coastal ones, but a natural spectacle not to be missed.
Those who don't want to travel too far from Furnari can visit Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, which is only 13 km from the town: here in Via Roma there is the beautiful Minor Basilica of San Sebastiano, while with less than half an hour's drive you can reach Milazzo, to visit the Castle and other interesting attractions, such as the Ponente beach or Castle of Santa Lucia del Mela.

How to reach the oil festival in Furnari

Furnari is about 56 km from Messina; the town can be easily reached by motorway or railway.
Those traveling by car have two options: take the A18 to the exit for Roccalumera (about 27 km from Furnari) or the A20, to turn at the Falcone exit, just 4 km from the town. Travelers who prefer the train can get off at Barcellona-Castroreale station, 13 km from the centre, to continue their journey by bus.