Abakainon Festival

A secular festival for the roots of Abakainon

The Abakainon Festival is the most cherished secular event in the municipality of Tripi-Abakainon, a village in the Nebrodi mountains in the province of Messina, Sicily. Created to celebrate and promote the roots of the ancient Sicel-Greek city of Abakainon, the festival weaves together archaeology, culture, traditional gastronomy, and music, transforming the entire town into an open-air journey through history and identity. The event holds special significance as it commemorates the first anniversary of Regional Law no. 25 of June 10, 2025, through which the Municipality officially adopted the name "Tripi-Abakainon," restoring a name rich in memory to the community following a popular referendum in June 2024.

Archaeology and roots tourism

The day begins in the morning with access to the exhibition sites: the Santi Furnari Archaeological Museum, the Agora-Forum in Contrada Piano, and the Monumental Necropolis, all testaments to the civilization that once inhabited this corner of the Messina Nebrodi. The heart of the experience is the AbaTour, a two-hour guided itinerary organized by the Archeoclub of Tripi-Abakainon, which leads visitors through the historical, artistic, and cultural wonders of the area. This is "roots tourism," calling back emigrants and descendants of Tripi to their ancestral home.

The Cuddura and traditional flavors

A major highlight is the Cuddura of Tripi-Abakainon, a shortcrust pastry biscuit made with twelve eggs, possibly of Hellenistic origin. Following the anthropological study "The Cuddura of Tripi-Abakainon: Between Memory and Form," there is a show cooking session with local pastry shops under the "Terre di Abakainon" brand, followed by a free tasting of the cuddure. For the little ones, the "Treasures of Ancient Abakainon" painting workshop, curated by the Dracma ETS Association, introduces children to the local heritage.

The Greek Symposium and the Abakainon Concert

In the afternoon, cultural conferences and presentations are held, including the meeting "Bones and Memory" with anthropologist Dario Piombino Mascali and the presentation of the book "Sikelio di Abakainon." In the evening, the Greek Symposium takes place, an evocative scenic re-enactment of an ancient Hellenic banquet, while the grand finale is entrusted to the Abakainon Concert, featuring maestro Carmelo Siciliano, a specialist in Greek music, and the Hellenic musician Evaggelos Merkouris. A sonic journey that reconnects the threads between Sicily and ancient Greece, in the Municipality of Tripi-Abakainon and the heart of the Sicilian Region.