Folklore and events

• Medial: a review focused on agro-industrial field.
• Mediarte: a show market dedicated to modern and contemporary art.
• Gran Premio Regione Siciliana: international horse competitions at Favorita race-course.
• Medicavalli: this Mediterranean event is dedicated to horse and takes place in a wonderful park, Parco della Favorita. There are horse competitions, western shows, gymkhanas, exhibitions of agricultural and handicraft products, examples of hyppotherapy, etc. During these days there are also seminars, meetings with the most important experts of the field. Visitors have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge about horses and their world. This is also a way to promote Sicily and its products, from horses to cheese, from handicraft to tourism.
• Il Genio di Palermo: this event is dedicated to young artists from Palermo. They open to public their studies and let visitors see their works of art. An international jury, made of scholars, experts and artists, choose the most interesting project of all the ones showed by artists. The aim is to find an original project that receives the funds of the award. This is a way to promote young artists, of every field, photography, painting, videos, etc.
• Festività di S. Rosalia: from 9^th to 15^th July there is the celebration of the feast dedicated to the Patron, S. Rosalia (“u festinu”). On 14^th July, in the evening, there are wonderful fireworks over the sea. On 15^th July there is a solemn procession with a XVIII century cart, around 12 m tall, on which there are the 60 people of the orchestra and of the choir. There are jesters, stands, etc. On 15^th July 1624 there was a terrible plague. S. Rosalia appeared to a hunter on Pellegrino Mount and she revealed the place where her body was buried. The citizens brought the body in town and the plague ceased.
• Fiera dei Morti: during the last week of October and in the first days of November there is a fair to commemorate the dead and according to an old tradition, children receive toys, games and small presents, like cakes and candies.
• Rappresentazione dei Misteri: on Good Friday and Holy Saturday there is the representation of the Mysteries.
• Fiera del Mediterraneo: this fair shows the most important innovations of Italian and foreign production.
• Targa Florio: an international car race, created in 1906 by Vincenzo Florio.
• Trofeo Trinacria: female fencing competitions.
• Windsurf World Festival on The Beach: this festival takes place in the wonderful scenario of Conca di Palermo and of its creek. This place is the ideal stage for this kind of event, a big meeting that precedes summer dedicated to all those who are fond of windsurf.
• Festa di primavera: a spring feast made of games that involve the whole town.
• Festività dei SS. Cosma e Damiano: Saints Cosmas and Damien are considered the patrons of the fishermen of Sferracavallo, a small sea hamlet of Palermo. On the last Sunday of September the fishermen bring the stands that support the saints through all the streets, accompanied by the music of a band. According to a legend these saints went out of the sea dancing. According to tradition in 1600 there was a terrible plague. During this plague citizens prayed the saints and the statues of the saints were brought (running) from house to house. During the last days of September there is a big feast, with games and competitions. The feast ends on Monday with the wonderful fireworks.
• Palermo in Fiore: a week dedicated to flowers and essences of Mediterranean area, of all those plants that once were in the gardens of the villas. There are exhibitions and a market: exhibitions of clothes and cars decorated with flowers, a parade with historical costumes, concerts, etc.

Copyright Starnetwork srl - All rights reserved
Written by Stefania Maffeo
Translation by Linda Liguori