Easter in Prizzi – The dance of the devils

In Sicily, with its remarkable cultural heritage, there are truly fascinating events that mix the sacred and the profane, history and legends: among these we cannot fail to mention "The Dance of the Devils" which, every year in the Easter period, attracts in Prizzi thousands of visitors.

Easter in Prizzi: the Ball of the Devils

The "Ballo dei Diavoli" is the event in which the Holy Week in Prizzi, a mountain village located at the foot of the Monti-Sicani about 80 km from Palermo.
It is an almost theatrical representation that stages the struggle between good and evil, paganism and Christianity, spring and winter.
It all starts at dawn Easter Sunday when, in the streets of Prizzi, they wander around two devils with a lolling-tongued mask, a red robe, and a cloak made of goatskin. Accompanied by the disturbing Death, dressed in yellow and with a grinning leather mask, they wake up the whole village. L'Abballu di li Diavuli begins in the early afternoon, when, to the cadenced rhythm of the musical band, these gloomy masks capture the bystanders asking, in exchange for their soul, a donation or cannateddi (typical Prizzi Easter cake made of shortcrust pastry and hard-boiled egg). Throughout the afternoon, the devils and Death try to chase the sacred statues of the Virgin dressed in mourning and Christ, preventing them from meeting, succeeding twice.
When midnight is about to strike, the angels who escort the sacred statues manage to defeat the devils with theirs blessed swords, sublimating the encounter between the Risen Christ and the Virgin with a gold and blue mantle, between the joy of the faithful and the festive ringing of the bells.
The "Ballo dei Diavoli" ends with the purification rite of the two devils who, on the occasion of Take peace, they genuflect before Christ and the Madonna three times.

Historical origins of Easter in Prizzi

The origins of the event that ends Easter in Prizzi ha medieval origins which, in turn, are influenced by ancient pagan and ancestral customs: the latter were linked to the abandonment of the dark winter in favor of Spring.
The typical traces of the pagan Dionysian festivals are evident, complete with masks and ritual sacrifices. With the advent of Christianity, an attempt was made to give a new meaning to the "Dance of the Devils", transforming it into a struggle between good and evil with the triumph of the former coinciding with the resurrection of Christ.

When the Ballo dei Diavoli takes place in Prizzi

The Ball of the Devils takes place there Easter Sunday, at the end of the entire Holy Week.

Where Easter takes place in Prizzi

The Dance of the Devils is thekey event of Easter in Prizzi, a village located at an altitude of 1040 m, on the slopes of the Sicani mountains. It is located in the province of Palermo and was born in 745 around the Castle wanted by the Byzantine Constantine V Capraino in order to control the Sosio Valley. Its name comes from the Greek pyrizen, in reference to the act of lighting signal fires and the village is characterized by the presence of ancient and winding sheep tracks still crossed by mules and donkeys.

What to do during the Devils Ball

On the occasion of Easter in Prizzi you can visit the village, starting from what remains of theancient castle: these are two towers, a panoramic located near the Church of Sant'Antonio and the other became the bell tower of the Mother Church. They are worth a visit Church of San Francesco made up of walls dug into the living rock and the very ancient Church of San Sebastiano located next toMedieval Arch.
Walking among the alleys of Prizzi different can be seen colorful murals, some born in the 80s and others created thanks to the initiative of theartist David Atkinson.
In front of Prizzi, on Monte San Lorenzo, you can then see the remains of the Hippana Theater, city founded by the Greeks in 258 BC, conquered by the Romans following the First Punic War.

How to get to Prizzi

To attend the "Ballo dei Diavoli" you have to reach Prizzi along the SS118 that connects Agrigento to Bolognetta (in the province of Palermo).